Tag Archives: History

The 6666 Pullman Train Car

It’s amazing the things that you can find when traveling somewhere new and sometimes it really pays off taking a turn just for the heck of it, unsure what’s waiting to be seen around the corner. Not far from Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas lies a piece of history – the 6666 Pullman Train Car.

When we were in Fredericksburg in March, we decided to spend a little time before a wine tasting driving around town. Low and behold, we found this train car with a United States Presidential Seal. It’s taken some digging but I may have found the secret to this unusual find.

In 1894, Pullman built this train car which was purchased by S. Burde Burnett, a famous cattleman in North Texas and the Quanah’s route of directors, shortly after. Burnett grew to be one of the largest cattleman in the Southwest and as his business grew, he found that he had greater needs to travel. He purchased the train car in order to ease his needs to travel between Fort Worth and his ranch, The Four Sixes Ranch in Wichita County.

There are a few ideas where the name ‘6666’ derived from. One theory states it was the hand he played to win the ranch in a game of poker. The more accurate account states that Burnett purchased a herd of cattle from another rancher in Denton County in 1871 and Burnett kept the brand.

This train car was not only owned by one of the more famous cattleman in Texas but it was also used by President Theodore Roosevelt (on one of his hunting trips) and Comanche Chief Quanah Parker.

Throughout the years the train car has been bought by multiple owners however today it is owned by Fischer & Wieser in Fredericksburg, a specialty foods company. It is said to a guesthouse or a small B&B. Little did we know it was a place to stay while in town but it was pretty neat to find something so unique exploring town.

Facts and information on the 6666 Pullman Train Car can be found at:
Cozy Up, Texas: The 6666 Pullman Train Car
Fredericksburg Lodging
Fredericksburg Lodging – Historical Information

All Western Parade, Fort Worth

16 Replies

#FWSSR #AllWesternParade

For the past 120 years, the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo has been held in Fort Worth. On the first Saturday of the festivities, the All Western Parade is held in downtown Fort Worth. This is the biggest western themed and non-motorized parade in the world. In the world folks!

On Saturday morning, we lined the streets along with other eager (and cold) guests to take part in the parade. This event exemplifies the history, tradition and heritage found in Fort Worth. Known for the Stockyards, this is the event that meets the wild west, cowboys, cowgirls and the history and tradition that has made this city what it is today. This event is free although you can pay for reserved bleacher seats however I would say to grab a couple chairs and find a spot along the parade route. It’s free and there was plenty of space. Be prepared, the parade lasted over an hour and a half.

The parade was incredibly unique! First, when have you ever attended a non-motorized parade? I can honestly say this was my first. No vehicles – the means of transportation included riding an animal, be pulled by an animal (via a wagon) or your own two legs. There had to be well over a thousand horses. Participant’s included local organizations and community members, local public service organizations (such as the Fort Worth Police Department), out-of-towners (the El Paso Sheriff’s posse was one of my personal favorites as you’ll see with the pictures) as well as American and Mexican participant’s in traditional garb.

With the tradition that is exuberant in Fort Worth, this is one event that you may never find anywhere else. You’ll be entertained, the kids imagination will go wild – it’s definitely enjoyable for everyone involved. Welcome to the Wild West folks! Now, I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

This town is full of history, yesterday’s and today’s.
What is your favorite part of the Wild, Wild West?

Welcome to Cooper, Texas

2 Replies

Driving down Texas roads, there’s really no telling where one might end up. You could come across a big ole city like Dallas, Austin or San Antonio or there’s hundreds of little towns in between (like Cooper). Some will say, all the small towns look alike. I beg to differ. Each has their unique traits whether it be a crazy looking old house on the corner, a killer high school football stadium that is what “Friday Night Lights” is all about or it could be the population of three.

Small towns are one of the things that I love about Texas. Finding the court houses and seeing how each is different, the faded paint on the side of brick buildings, town squares, small Mom and Pop stores, antiques or just an old building to take a photo of. Some towns are so small it takes a couple minutes to find the “center of town”, its kind of funny when you think about it.

With that said, here is a little town called Cooper. I loved stopping in this town for its buildings. The craziest part was when I got home that night, I happened to have the TV on and 60 Minutes came on and told a story about the Warrior Dog Foundation in, you guessed it, Cooper, Texas. Established by a Navy SEAL, the Warrior Dog Foundation trains K-9’s which gives back to the Navy SEAL’s and the special operations community. (Read more on their website.) I wish I had known that before getting home.

Located an hour and 20 minutes northeast of Dallas, directly north of Sulphur Springs (off Hwy 30) is Cooper. Here’s a glimpse of my favorite shots while passing thru.

If you haven’t guessed it by now, Cooper is an agricultural town. Situated in Delta County, Cooper was established in 1870 by L.W. Cooper of Houston. By 1885, the town was alive and well (with it’s own Post Office). With the coming of the Texas Midland Railroad, the population jumped to 1,000 people by 1896 including a bank, shoemaker, hotel, numerous mills and two weekly papers (among other establishments). Fast forward nearly 100 years to 1970 – over sixty businesses including seed cleaning plants and multiple dairies. This is an agricultural town. 2013 population: 1,977

Have you ever been / passed thru Cooper? What’s your favorite small town?

Historical Information retrieved from the Texas State Historical Association