Sanderson

Sanderson, Texas

Sanderson, Texas

Sanderson is the county seat of Terrell County, Texas. Photograph by Jaime Chapoy.

Sanderson, the county seat of Terrell County, is on U.S. Highway 90 in Sanderson Canyon in the southwest part of the county. It was founded by Charlie Wilson as Strawbridge. The site served as a division point for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and in 1882 when a roundhouse was built, the name was changed from Strawbridge to Sanderson, after Thomas P. Sanderson, the engineer in charge of construction. A post office was opened in 1883. In early days, Sanderson was an unruly 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 demarked from Pecos County in 1905, Sanderson became the county seat as a result of a countywide election.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

Continue Reading at the Handbook of Texas

Swanya Howell Pitts | © Texas State Historical Association

Sanderson at a Glance

Belongs to

Sanderson is part of or belongs to the following places.

Adopt a Town

The Texas Almanac's Land Rush program lets you adopt the town or county of your choice and share your message with the world. 100% of the proceeds benefit education in Texas.

Great Texas Land Rush logo
Adoption Status: ⭐
This place has been adopted and will not be available until June 15, 2022
Adopted by:
Karen Elizabeth Balestrini (KERR)
Dedication Message:
In honor of Joseph Kerr and the Kerr Family

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Sanderson is classified as a Town

Associated Names

  • (Strawbridge)

Locations

  • Latitude
    30.14240830
    Longitude
    -102.39403240

Has Post Office

Yes

Is Incorporated

No

Photos of Sanderson and surrounding areas

Proud to call TX home?

Put your name on the town or county of your choice.

Search Places »

Sanderson by the Numbers

Population Counts

This is some placeholder text that we should either remove or replace with a brief summary about this particular metric. For example, "We update population counts once per year..."

Population Counts

Sanderson
Pop. Year Source
719 2019 Texas Demographic Center
837 2010 Texas Demographic Center
861 2000 Texas Demographic Center
1,128 1990 Texas Demographic Center
1,500 1980 Texas Demographic Center
1,229 1970 Texas Demographic Center
2,350 1960 Texas Demographic Center
2,150 1950 Texas Demographic Center
1,875 1940 Texas Demographic Center
1,500 1930 Texas Demographic Center
500 1920 Texas Demographic Center
112 1900 Texas Demographic Center