T. A. and Emma Sloan House
San Saba, San Saba County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This two-story frame house serves as an iconic reminder of a time when San Saba County and Central Texas were recovering from the devastations of war and Indian raids and transitioning from open range to fenced pastures. Thomas Alan Sloan (1838-1905) was born in Mississippi and settled in San Saba County in 1856. Sloan became an important figure in the cattle industry. He and his wife Emma (Henderson) (1845-1935) built this house in 1883. It conveys how our pioneer ancestors created an oasis of quiet elegance and beauty for generations of descendants while preserving their ranching heritage.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Thomas Alan Sloan came to San Saba County from Mississippi in 1856 and rose to prominence in the cattle business as Central Texas moved from open range toward fenced pasture. In 1883 he and his wife Emma built this two-story frame house, a settled emblem of ranching wealth in a county still recovering from war and frontier raids. It stood for generations as the family seat of a pioneering ranching line.
Why it matters
The Sloan house marks the moment the Texas cattle frontier began to settle down—open range giving way to fenced ranches and permanent family homesteads.
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Related people
- · Thomas Alan Sloan
- · Emma Henderson Sloan
Themes & tags
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