In 1863, Charles Edward Dane built a tannery on the LaCreole Creek. Charles McDonald and George Stiles purchased the tannery and McDonald soon purchased Stiles share. Charles McDonald's brother, David S. McDonald and Andrew Muir purchased the tannery in1888. It was destroyed in 1903, by fire and was rebuilt. It was at this time that Walter Muir joined his father in the business.

Eldon Bevens joined the business at the age of 14 and he purchased the tannery in 1967.  Lisa Bevens, Eldon's daughter joined her dad in 1977. Lisa and her husband, Greg Koloen, purchased the Muir & McDonald Tannery in 2000.

This business was special, in that it was one of the remaining tanneries using all natural liquids and process to cure the leather and it was the only one west of the Rocky's. This is a very slow process producing only one hide at a time vs the modern faster way with chemicals and producing many hides at one time. The market for Muir & McDonald's products soon disappeared. The Muir & McDonald Tannery was Dallas's longest continual business when it closed in 2007.