Stonewall Saloon
Saint Jo, Montague County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Built 1873 as saloon and trail drivers rest stop. After county prohibition, 1897, housed offices and bank. Named after Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson. Town's first permanent building, originally of native stone. Stuccoed in 1930's; wooden facade added in 1964. (1967)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Built of native stone in 1873, the Stonewall Saloon was Saint Jo's first permanent building and a welcome rest stop for cowboys driving cattle up the trail through North Texas. After county prohibition arrived in 1897 it traded whiskey for ledgers, housing offices and a bank, and it was named for Confederate general "Stonewall" Jackson. Stuccoed in the 1930s and given a wooden facade in 1964, it still anchors the town square.
Why it matters
The old saloon is a tangible relic of the great cattle-drive era, when trail towns sprang up to serve the drovers moving herds across the open frontier.
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