SANDERSON TEXAS

TEXAS REGIONS

BIG BEND COUNTRY  

Sanderson Texas Cactus Capital of Texas Sanderson, Texas is the county seat of Terrell County, located on U.S. Highway 90 in Sanderson Canyon in the southwest corner of the county. Sanderson was founded by Charlie Wilson as Strawbridge. The town served as a junction for the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1882, when a roundhouse was built, the town's name was changed from Strawbridge to Sanderson, after Thomas P. Sanderson, the engineer in charge of railroad construction. A post office was opened in 1883. In its early days, Sanderson was an wild frontier town: Roy Bean operated a saloon there for a short time; Charlie Wilson's Cottage Bar was a favorite spot for railroad workers, cowboys, and local ranchers. When Terrell County was carved from Pecos County in 1905, Sanderson became the county seat as a result of a countywide election.

Sanderson is known as the Cactus Capital of Texas for good reason, due to the wide variety of cacti that grow in this convergence zone of the Chihuahuan Desert, the Edwards Plateau and the Southern Great Plains. In addition to the myriad types of cacti in the Sanderson zone you will find many varieties of desert shrubs, trees and grasses. You will also find a variety of snakes.

Among the cactus you will find in the Cactus Capital of Texas are Texas Rainbow Cactus, Claret Cup Cactus, Strawberry Cactus, Engelmann's Prickly Pear, Tree Cholla and Eagleclaw Cactus.

The Terrell County area raises a lot of livestock, including cattle, horses, polo ponies, burros, sheep, and Angora goats. Million of pounds of wool and mohair have shipped out of Sanderson. 

Sanderson had a population of 1,500 in 1980 and 1,128 in 1990. The population dropped to 861 in 2000.

On June 11, 1965, Sanderson was struck by a flash flood. A wall of water roared down Sanderson Canyon into Sanderson, destroying multiple homes and businesses. Twenty-four people died in the flood. After the disaster 11 flood-control dams were built to prevent future flash floods from devastating Sanderson. 

The Sanderson Amtrak station is a flag stop train station in Sanderson  served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The Sanderson Amtrak station often wins the annual title of least used train stop. Between 2007 and 2010, Sanderson was the least-used Amtrak stop in its national system. 

THE TOWN TOO MEAN FOR BEAN

Judge  Roy Bean, known as the Law West of the Pecos, was never a lawyer, yet somehow was appointed justice of the peace for Precinct 6 of Pecos County. Judge Roy Bean's courtroom also served as a saloon, the only one in the little town of Langtry. Judge Roy Bean's Jersey Lily Saloon was so successful he decided to open another one in the booming town of Sanderson in October of 1883. However, Sanderson already had a saloon, owned by land speculator, Charlie Wilson. Mr. Wilson did not take kindly to Roy Bean's intrusion into his town, with the Roy Bean Saloon's pool and poker tables, along with beer, champagne and whiskey. 

So Charlie Wilson spiked Judge Roy Bean's barrels of whiskey with kerosene, which had Roy Bean's saloon customers spitting his whiskey and Judge Roy Bean soon hightailing it back to Langtry, leaving Sanderson to be forever known as The Town Too Mean For Bean.

You will find Sanderson on Highway 90 an hour west of the Pecos, 
25 miles north of the Rio Grande and Mexico. Midway between San Antonio and El Paso.

Check out the Sanderson Chamber of Commerce website for more Sanderson information


WHERE TO STAY IN SANDERSON

Budget Inn – (432) 345-2541
Canyons RV Park – (432) 345-2916 
Desert Air Motel
806 W. Oak St.
P.O. Box 144
Sanderson, TX, 79848
(432)360-3843
Desert Air Motel
Granny’s Guest House – (432) 345-2949
Outback Oasis Motel - (432) 345-2850 Toll Free 1-888-466-8822 
Sunset Siesta Motel - (432)345-2200 Toll Free 1-888-674-3782 

WHERE TO EAT IN SANDERSON

Dairy King - (432) 345-2254
Eagle’s Nest Café – (432) 345-3065
Chile con Arnie ~ (432) 345-3110

HUNTING SERVICES IN SANDERSON AREA

3-C Ranch (432) 345-6791
Askins Ranch (432) 345-3328
Banner Ranch (432) 345-6740
Bell Ranch (432) 345-2344
Birdsong Outpost Ranch 4(32) 345-2750
Brinlee Ranch Hunts (432) 345-2367
Carruthers Ranch (432) 345-2488
Continental Hunting Ranch (325) 347-6689
Deaton Ranch (432) 345-2929
Downie Ranch (432) 345-2288
Stevens Forest Ranch (432) 345-2514
Hagelstein Ranch (432) 631-1331
Harkins Ranch (432) 345-2271
Harrell Ranch (432) 345-2156
Hill Ranch (432) 345-2922
Hinkle Ranch (432) 345-2977
Kyle Ranches 828-506-4673
Mike Landry (432) 345-6730
Longfellow Ranch (432) 395-2395
Mitchell Ranch (432) 345-2400
Ranch Enterprises LTD (432) 345-2400
Bobby Stegall Ranch (432) 345- 2240
Turk Ranch (432) 753-2335
Sancho Ranch (432) 345-6785
San Francisco Ranch (432) 345-2345
Slaughter Ranch (432) 345-2874

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