About Us

Cowhill is a small family business. This website is a way for us to showcase a variety of items that we have available for sale. We may also post some items from a small number of select sellers that we know and trust. Jerald has a lot of antiques. He also builds, modifies, and refinishes a lot of items.

History

The Thomas family has owned and operated a number of small businesses over the years. We've been involved in commercial construction, real estate, antiques, and coffee.

Our Name and Town

The name Cowhill is a compound of Cow Hill and has local significance. The town of Commerce, Texas started as a trading post and mercantile store. The open prairie nearby was then known as Cow Hill. Commerce is also officially recognized as the "Bois d'Arc Capital of Texas", is home to the second largest bois d'arc tree in Texas, "Big Max", hosts an annual Bois d'Arc Bash, and is home to the public, doctoral/research university Texas A&M University–Commerce.

Construction

Jerald started as a carpenter. He owned and operated JETA Construction Company, a general contractor specializing in commercial construction in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. A lot of Jerald's taste, creativeness, and passion for quality comes from his years as an artisan.

Antiques

Jerald has been collecting antiques since he was a teenager. Antiques have been a lifelong passion of his. Our family previously owned and operated Under the Bois d'Arc Antique Mall in Commerce, Texas. We've since closed the antique mall, but Jerald now has his own private antique shop in Commerce, Texas, operating under the name Jerald E. Thomas Antiques. The antique shop does not maintain regular hours, so an appointment is recommended. Jerald also regularly sells antiques at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas.

Coffee

Our family owns Cowhill Express Coffee Company. In it's heyday, the company retailed and wholesaled coffee, frozen drink syrups, equipment, and supplies. We had a retail store in Commerce, Texas, and also sold by phone, mail, and online. We've scaled things down quite a bit since then. Our retail coffee business in Commerce is now closed, but we do still service existing wholesale customers, including coffee shops, wineries, restaurants, gift shops, and gourmet food stores. We also still sell coffee and frozen drinks monthly at First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas.