The railroad arrived in Fort Worth in 1876, making the stockyards a major shipping point for cattle. After WWII, the availability of good paved roads and a new trucking industry resulted in the opening of many smaller regional livestock auctions. Companies in towns such as Gonzales, Cuero, Waco, and Decatur still operate weekly cattle auctions.
The West Auction House, opened in the 1970s by B.W. Cox is now owned and operated by Ted and Adele Uptmore and family. Auction owners look out for each other and their cattle producers. When the tragic West Fertilizer Plant exploded in 2013 and the Uptmore’s were helping those suffering in the community, five other auction markets picked-up cattle waiting in the pens and sold them without charging a commission. Cattle community roots run deep in Texas.