The Crossing at Chisholm Trail Park

The Crossing at Chisholm Trail Park

By Administrator Friday, 06 March 2009

Imagine going back in time more than 100 years to the cattle drive era when cowboys and longhorns roamed the Texas landscape. The City of Round Rock, Greater Round Rock Community Foundation and Round Rock Chamber of Commerce continued their effort to bring those images to life as they unveiled a new steer statue at the commemorative park, The Crossing, in Chisholm Trail Park during a Feb. 20 dedication ceremony. New plaques with descriptions of what is being depicted were also placed near each statue.

The new Torres steer was made possible by a contribution from residents Edward Reyes Torres, Mary Zordan Torres and Gloria Torres Zamarripa, who commissioned the project to honor their parents, Maria de Lourdes Torres and Pablo Pachicano Torres, agricultural background and the frontier life led by their ancestors. The Torres steer stands next to the bell steer, which had to be moved to remain the leader of the herd.

Jim Thomas, owner of Thomas Studio & Foundry in Jonestown, and his son, Shelby Thomas, sculpted the Torres steer. They created the other four statues at The Crossing, as well: the bell steer, the Quick steer and statues of Emmett and Hattie Cluck. Dell Inc. commissioned the bell steer; the Quick family commissioned the Quick steer; William and Sissy Peckham commissioned the statue of Hattie Cluck; and Ruth Koughan commissioned the statue of Emmett Cluck.

“It’s truly an honor for my son, Shelby, and I — he did most of the work on [the Torres steer] — it’s truly an honor for us to be here and, in some small way, contribute to the history and the remembrance of the history of the City of Round Rock and the community,” Jim Thomas said.

The Crossing is the first of Round Rock’s Art in the Park projects. Terri Waggoner, marketing specialist for the Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department, said the city and foundation plan to have a set of statues showing a full cattle drive, complete with cowboys, a campsite and about two dozen steers and cattle. The scene would lead all the way up to and across Brushy Creek, with the bell steer overlooking its banks. Waggoner estimated the cost of the total project, which would include a total of 20 statues, at about $2 million.

“This is a really neat project for us, as we’re adding and really focusing more on art and culture,” Waggoner said.