Site of Wagon Yard
Canyon, Randall County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Ranchman's headquarters in town; slept in bedroll in his wagon or in room above the office. Cooked over campfire in yard. Overnight charges: .10 cents a horse; .50 cents a man. Feed and coal were sold, water was free. Hands were hired, horses doctored here. Yard existed about 1890 to 1921. (1966)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
From about 1890 to 1921 this Canyon wagon yard was the working headquarters for ranchmen come to town, who slept in their bedrolls or a room above the office and cooked over a campfire in the yard. It cost a dime to stable a horse and fifty cents for a man; feed and coal were for sale, water was free, and hands were hired and horses doctored on the spot.
Why it matters
The wagon yard was the frontier equivalent of the truck stop and motel, a vital hub of the cattle-country economy before the automobile age.
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Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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