Solomon (Sol) Mayer

According to the Standard-Times of January 18, 1944, “Sol Mayer spent his adolescent years working in his father’s trading post at Fort McKavett and Fort Concho (now San Angelo), knowing the life of the pioneer army outposts and learning livestock trading and salesmanship from his father.  At 16 he became an independent trader and ranchman but a partner with his father.

“Ten years later he was the largest livestock dealer for his age in West Texas, noted for his reputation for honor.  He sold thousands of heads of cattle sight unseen to buyers in Kansas City and Chicago who took his word for the condition of the herds and set their price accordingly.”

Sol Mayer, in 1880 as an eleven year old boy, roamed the hills around Fort McKavett, swapping yarns and horses with the soldiers on duty there at that time.  At the age of 15 he became a cowboy at a salary of $30 per month, and eventually, banker, rancher and developer of Sonora, Texas.  He was  regarded as one of the real builders of West Texas.

He was known to run 8,000 to 10,000 head of cattle along with some 10,000 sheep, plus horses and hogs, on his ranches in both Sutton and Schleicher counties.

He married Ernestine E. Mayer during 1895 and they had one son, Edwin Solomon Mayer on August 1, 1896 in San Antonio, Texas.  He, along with his son, owned the 72,000 acre ranch known as the “T Half Circle Ranch” which was located in Sutton and Schleicher counties.  The ranch was jointly owned by his father, his brother Max and himself.  He bought out their interests in the ranch on June 20, 1901, to make it Sol Mayer and Brother.  He then bought out his brother’s (Abe) interest in the ranch on April 12, 1907.

Mr. Mayer served on the executive board of the Texas Cattlemen’s Association and on the executive committee of the Sheep and Goat Raisers Association.

According to the January 1986 issue of Ranch Magazine, he provided significant gifts to Boys’ Ranch, Tom Green County Library, San Angelo Sate University and the Community Gym of San Angelo.  He is listed in the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.

He helped build the first long distance telephone line out of Sonora in the summer of 1897.  He also built a railroad from Pecos to Balmorhea.  He served as a director of the San Angelo National Bank,and later as its president.   He also served as president of Security State Bank of Pecos, president of the National Wool Marketing Corporation, president of the Val Verde Land & Cattle Company and a director of the Texas Livestock Marketing Association.

He passed away on February 18, 1957 in Dallas, Texas.  He was cremated.  Mrs. Mayer passed away a couple of years later in 1959.  The Mayers gave of themselves for others throughout their lives! Their son, Edwin S. Mayer, served as President of the Council from 1960 to 1962.

To read the story about Camp Sol Mayer go here.