SANDERSON, TEXAS. Sanderson, the county seat of Terrell County, is on U.S. Highway 90 in Sanderson Canyon in the southwest part of the county. It was founded by Charlie Wilson as Strawbridge. The site served as a division point for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and in 1882 when a roundhouse was built, the name was changed from Strawbridge to Sanderson, after Thomas P. Sanderson, the engineer in charge of construction. A post office was opened in 1883. In early days, Sanderson was an unruly frontier town: Roy Bean operated a saloon there for a short time; Charlie Wilson's Cottage Bar was a favorite spot for railroad workers, cowboys, and local ranchers. When Terrell County was demarked from Pecos County in 1905, Sanderson became the county seat as a result of a countywide election.