Strawn is a small town in the southwest corner of Palo Pinto County, just north of I-20 near the Erath County line. It's hills, rock, mesquite, and oak, with creeks cutting through. Around Strawn we build pipe fence, high fence, water gaps, and gates, put up barns and shops on pads we cut, and dig tanks.
Building around Strawn
Strawn and Thurber, just over the county line, were coal and brick country a long time ago, and the ground shows why. Sandstone and shale sit right under the grass. The hills are steeper than anything near Weatherford, and the creeks run in rocky beds. It's pretty country, and it's hard on a post-hole auger.
Out here a fence follows the land or fights it. Lines bend around ledges and step down hillsides instead of running dead straight. One hole hits rock a few inches down, and the next digs clean a few feet over. That's why we walk every line before we price it, and why a Strawn layout often looks different on the ground than it did on the plat.
This is cattle and deer country. Long cattle lines suit pipe top rail over wire on braced corners. High fence for game has to stay tight over rough ground, so it takes more bracing at every change in grade. Where a line drops into a creek, a water gap keeps it closed between floods and lets the next flood through.
Barns and tanks go by the same rule: the ground decides. A barn on a hillside needs a pad cut into the slope and somewhere for the uphill runoff to go. A tank needs soil that holds water, and rocky ground doesn't always have it. We check both on the walk before we suggest a spot.
What we build in Strawn
- Pipe fence
Around the house and pens on Strawn-area hills, pipe fence often steps down the grade so the rails stay level.
- High fence & game fence
The deer country around Strawn suits high fence, braced harder than usual wherever the line changes grade.
- Water gaps
Rocky creek beds near Strawn run fast after a storm. A water gap at each crossing saves the rest of the line.
- Fence repair & rebuilds
Storms and age work loose the corners set in shallow rock. A repair resets them so the wire pulls tight again.
- Dirt work & pads
A hillside pad near Strawn gets cut into the slope, with a swale to carry uphill water around the building.
- Ponds & stock tanks
A stock tank only makes sense where the soil holds water. On rocky Strawn ground, we test that first.
Also done here: Pipe top rail over wire · Ranch gates & openers · Metal buildings · Shops, barns & covers · Barndominium shells
Permits and rules
We haven't checked Strawn's city rules or Palo Pinto County's for this page. Inside Strawn's limits, start with the city. Out in the county, ask Palo Pinto County, especially before a pad or tank goes in near a creek.
Strawn questions
Can you build fence on the steep, rocky ground around Strawn?
Yes. Each post takes more time, and the line may bend around ledges or step down hills. We walk it with you first and price it on site.
What does a water gap do on a creek near Strawn?
It closes the opening where your fence crosses the creek, then lets floodwater and drift through without tearing out the fence on either side. See water gaps.
Is Strawn too far west for you?
No. Strawn sits on I-20, well inside our area from Fort Worth west to Abilene. Send photos through the quote form and we'll plan the trip.