Shoe Bar Ranch Headquarters
Lakeview, Hall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
On first ranch in Hall County, started in 1880s by pioneer cattlemen T. S. Bugbee and O. H. Nelson. This residence was built about 1884. A nearsighted owner, J. K. Zimmerman of Kansas City, was wary of surprise visitors, and put in only one outer door. Adobe building bricks were made nearby. The tamped clay walls are 24 inches thick. At this headquarters, citizens met on May 4, 1890, and organized Hall County's local government. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1962
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The Shoe Bar was the first ranch in Hall County, launched in the 1880s by pioneer cattlemen T.S. Bugbee and O.H. Nelson as the open range gave way to organized ranching. This thick-walled adobe headquarters, built around 1884 with clay bricks made on site, reflected the quirks of a nearsighted owner who installed just one outer door to guard against surprise visitors. In 1890 local citizens gathered here to organize Hall County's government.
Why it matters
Ranch headquarters like the Shoe Bar were the command posts of the cattle empire that defined the Texas Panhandle, doubling as the birthplaces of the county governments that turned open range into settled country.
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Related people
- · T.S. Bugbee
- · O.H. Nelson
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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