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Cattle Baron Mansions
At the turn of the last century, the Fort Worthians who lived in mansions made their fortunes from raising cattle and drilling oil. Their cattle were traded for cash at the country's booming Fort Worth Stockyards and their oil fueled a nation.
These very same tycoons sought lavish, European-influenced lifestyles in the city and either built or bought grand mansions. The next generations parlayed these fortunes into banking, automobile dealerships, commercial real estate and other markets.
Today, you can visit (or even rent for a private event) two of Texas' premier cattle baron mansions, the Ball-Eddleman-McFarland House and the Wharton-Scott House known as Thistle Hill.
Both properties are owned, operated and restored by Historic Fort Worth, Inc., a non-profit preservation organization.
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With its five chimneys, hand-carved sandstone, wrap-around porch decked in Georgian marble, and stained glass windows, McFarland House dazzles against the Texas sky. It's longest living occupant, Carrie Eddleman-McFarland, exhibited all of the traits of Texas women of privilege. She was the president of the elite women's group, The Assembly, a member of the Junior League, helped to establish the Fort Worth Day Nursery, served as a Red Cross volunteer in both world wars, played poker and adored the Dallas Cowboys.
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| At the turn of the 20th century an area of land southwest of Fort Worth, Texas had become a fashionable residential district known as "Quality Hill." With land purchased in 1903 by A.B. Wharton for $25,000, the original deed was for 6.5 acres, of which only 1.5 acres was for the estate. The construction of the mansion known as Thistle Hill began immediately after Electra Waggoner (daughter of cattle baron W.T. Waggoner) and A.B. Wharton of Philadelphia were married in 1902 in Decatur, Texas. They hired the architectural firm of Sanguinet and Staats, a firm that specialized in commercial architecture to design their home in the "old Colonial style." Construction was completed in one year at a cost of $38,000. Click here for more information.
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