Cooper in Delta County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
The Texas Livery Stable
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 25, 2018
1. The Texas Livery Stable Marker
Had animal-drawn vehicles and saddle horses for hire. Served doctors on calls; people arriving on or meeting trains; lawyers attending court;"drummers" (salesmen) on local rounds; land seekers; hunters and fishermen; young men courting; ladies out visiting. Usually housed in a good frame or brick building; stalls, harness rooms, office might cover a block. Pasture was nearby. Boarded teams of businessmen and townspeople. Provided hearses, funeral carriages.
Stable was town's "club"—for men trading, meeting visitors, getting news. After school, used boys for deliveries; they took along horses to ride back to barn. They painted, polished carriages; groomed, fed horses. Tramps cleaned stables, slept in hay. Manager often "doctored" animals, sometimes was an undertaker.
Fine saddle horses and rigs stood out front, for show -- top buggies, with storm curtains; plush-lined hacks; Studebaker dray wagons. Rent: $3 to $5 a day.
On this courthouse site (until 1912) was Blackwell Livery Stable. To the east (1880 - 1914) Nidever Livery Stable kept city fire engine team at its front. In minutes after an alarm, had fire wagon on its way.
A centuries-old institution, the livery stable vanished about 1915. No true successor replaced it. Early travel, communication and transportation series.
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Erected 1966 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 6948.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Notable Places • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.
Location. 33° 22.437′ N, 95° 41.383′ W. Marker is in Cooper, Texas, in Delta County. Marker is on West Dallas Avenue (Texas Route 154), on the right when traveling west. Located on the Delta County Courthouse lawn. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 West Dallas Avenue, Cooper TX 75432, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Nathaniel L. Corbet (here, next to this marker); First National Bank (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cooper Rail Depot (approx. ¼ mile away); Delta County (approx. 1.4 miles away); Oaklawn Cemetery (approx. 1.4 miles away); Hiram Rattan (approx. 3.4 miles away); DeSpain Bridge (approx. 4.8 miles away); Confederate Refugees in Texas, C. S. A. (approx. 10.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cooper.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, June 25, 2018
2. The Texas Livery Stable Marker at Delta County Courthouse.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 298 times since then and 42 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 4, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. 2. submitted on July 5, 2018, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
