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Former building at One O'Connor Plaza had wrought iron balconies

After falling into disrepair, structure was torn down in 1978

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  • Rubi Reyes •
  • Originally published January 11, 2009 at 4:41 p.m., updated January 11, 2009 at 4:41 p.m.

Thomas O'Connor, the Cattle King of Texas, was born in 1819 in Ireland. He traveled to Texas with his uncle, James Power, in 1834. He was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico, and was, apparently, the youngest soldier who fought in the battle of San Jacinto.

His marriage to Mary Fagan in 1838 produced three sons. Mary died in 1842.

Seventeen years later, O'Connor's second wife, Ellen Shelley, gave birth to another son, Thomas Marion O'Connor.

This son comes down to us through history as T. M. O'Connor, whose great-grandson is the current sheriff, T. Michael O'Connor.

Having built a magnificent home at 305 South Bridge, completed in 1889, T. M. O'Connor commissioned architect, Paul Helwig, to design the O'Connor-Proctor Building, completed in 1895, and owned jointly with Fred and Venable B. Proctor.

This building, at 202 North Main, is currently owned by the Junior League of Victoria.

In 1899, O'Connor commissioned Victoria architect, Jules C. Leffland, to design a three-story office building which would bear his name. It was built at the corner of Main and Forrest streets. It sported wrought iron balconies on the second story. The narrow front faced De Leon Plaza.

T. M. O'Connor's life was tragically cut short one month before his 52nd birthday in July 1910.

It was a great loss for Victoria when this noble structure was razed in 1978 to make way for One O'Connor Plaza.

Like so many of our greatest architectural structures, it was allowed to fall into disrepair, its beautifully detailed rooms inhabited only by pigeons.



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  • sfguerca sfguerca Report a ViolationReport a Violation Permalink  | 

    Negative. O'connor was not the 'cattle king' of Texas-- those kings, otherwise known as vaqueros, were from the Moraida and Garza families from Goliad and Refugio, Texas.... true NATIVES of Texas land.

    January 11, 2009 at 6:52 p.m.