32
east) in Hillcrest Cemetery by the First Monday grounds.”
Obviously, folks back then took their Trade Days seri-
ously.
Weatherford’s Stray Day began on the courthouse
square, and local farmers, ranchers and merchants bought
and sold everything from livestock to produce and hand-
made goods. The crowds could grow large, as by 1860
some 4,213 souls, including 222 slaves, lived in the
county. An agricultural census of the day reported 397
farms and ranches consisting of 3 acres or more. The
census recorded more than 14,000 head of cattle and
some 4,000 sheep. Parker County dirt farmers reportedly
produced more than 79,000 bushels of corn and some
22,000 bushels of wheat. Crops of rye, potatoes and
sweet potatoes were also grown and harvested. It’s safe
to assume that all of these commodities made their way
to Stray Day. Sometimes, while on the way into town for
monthly market days, settlers were harassed or attacked
by the Kiowa and Comanche who, becoming alarmed by
the swelling Anglo population staking out homesteads on
their hunting grounds, adopted a hit-and-run campaign
to discourage further settlement. The resistance was “too
little, too late,” but scalp-lifting and raids for horses and
plunder continued in the county until the mid-1870s.
Long gone are those days of danger and an agri-
culture-based economy. Today, 161 years later, First
Monday Trade Days in Weatherford is considered one of
the city’s most popular tourist draws. But while a very old
tradition remains at the heart of the event, by necessity
it is much changed. Today you might be hard pressed to
find a bushel of wheat, but if you’re looking for anything
else, no problem. “… You can find almost anything at
First Monday Trade Days,” Weatherford’s city website
reads. “Browse the various vendor spots in this outdoor
venue to find unique gifts, plants, farm and ranch items,
antiques, pet supplies, jewelry, second-hand bargains,
iron works, crafts, pottery, furniture, collectibles, artwork,
tools, along with great festival food.” And this is probably
the short list.
Director of Parks and Recreation and Special Events
for the City of Weatherford Shannon Goodman said he
didn’t know exactly when the City took over management
of the local First Monday Trade Days or when the event
moved from the courthouse square to its current location
in Heritage Park. But he did know that it is quite popular,
and not just with the locals.
“People travel from all over the United States to buy
items at this event and vendors/sellers come from nearby
states to sell at this event,” he said. “It is one of the city’s
biggest tourism draws if you consider the event being
monthly and the draw of vendors and shoppers that
attend this event. Most vendors stay overnight during
the event weekend, as they travel great distances to sell
here.”