In the mid-1800s, horses were a hot commodity and were often stolen. Mules on the other hand? Not such a popular item. For this reason, many stagecoaches uses mules instead of horses to get where they needed to go.

When traveling long distances, stagecoaches often had to swap out their mule teams to safely reach their destination. The mules were kept in the mule barn for safe keeping waiting for the next stagecoach to swap them.

The Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum was fortunate enough to receive a donation of an original mule barn from the Freeland Ranch. This mule barn is the same one that serviced the Johnson Stage Line in the mid-1800s. Visit the Chisholm Trail Outdoor museum to see this important piece of Texas History.