Pleasanton is a city in Atascosa County, Texas, United States. The population was 8,266 at the 2000 census. Pleasanton's official motto is "The City of Live Oaks and Friendly Folks. " It is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Pleasanton honors its cowboy heritage with the "Mr. Cowboy" sculpture in front of City Hall and across from the giant oak tree downtown. The roots of the cattle kingdom can be traced to Atascosa County in the 1860s, which calls itself "the birthplace of the cowboys. " The sculpture is a gift of Ben and Mona Parker. The Longhorn Museum in east Pleasanton on Texas State Highway 97 contains artifacts and memorabilia of the cowboy years. The Cowboy Homecoming, begun in 1966, is an annual event held at the Atascosa River Park in Pleasanton.