59-645: Barton Warnock Visitor Center consists of 99.9 acres located in Brewster County, Texas , United States. The center was built in 1982 by the Lajitas Foundation and was known as the Lajitas Museum Desert Gardens. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department purchased the center in October 1990 and named it after Barton Holland Warnock (1911–1998), an American botanist and leading authority on flora of
118-481: A Federal Communications Report stated that in daylight hours it was possible to get radio from Fort Stockton, Texas . Despite its substantial Hispanic population, Brewster County is Republican leaning in presidential elections, though not as strongly Republican as other rural counties in the Trans-Pecos region or West Texas. No candidate has won the county with double digit margins since George W. Bush in 2000 , and
177-463: A Mystery Lights Festival every Labor Day. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 3,856 square miles (9,990 km ), of which 3,855 square miles (9,980 km ) are land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km ) (0.02%) is covered by water. It is the fourth-largest county in Texas by area. Presidio County is triangular in shape and is bounded on the east by Brewster County , on
236-598: A landscape of rugged canyons and numerous springs. The spring-fed Capote Falls, with a drop of 175 feet (53 m), the highest in Texas, is located in western Presidio County. In the southern and western parts of the county, the volcanic cliffs of the Candelaria Rimrock (also called the Sierra Vieja) rise perpendicular and run parallel to the river, separating the highland prairies from the desert floor hundreds of feet below them. The gravel pediment , which allows only
295-559: A larger military presence in the area. President Wilson mobilized the National Guard to reinforce the Army, and by the end of 1916, an estimated 116,957 guardsmen were stationed along the border from California to Texas. As the mines and wax factories played out after World War I , raids from across the border abated. The geographic region known as the Big Bend is a loosely defined section of
354-545: A local rancher and trader, found a silver deposit in the Chinati Mountains in 1880 that resulted in the opening of Presidio Mine and the beginning of the company town of Shafter . From 1883 until 1942, the mine produced over 32.6 million ounces of silver. The railroad reached Presidio County in 1882, when the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway laid tracks through its northeastern corner. W. F. Mitchell built
413-610: A mercury ore. Silver and lead from mines on the Mexican side of the river in the Boquillas area were shipped north, as were candelilla wax produced at factories at Glenn Spring and Mariscal, and the guayule rubber from a factory in Marathon. Brewster County became targeted by incursions of bandits from Mexico, inspired at least in part by Pancho Villa . In June 1915, Governor James E. Ferguson asked President Woodrow Wilson to station troops in
472-513: Is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas . As of the 2020 census , its population was 6,131. Its county seat is Marfa . The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1875. Presidio County (K-5 in Texas topological index of counties) is in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas and is named for the border settlement of Presidio del Norte . It is on the Rio Grande, which forms
531-483: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Brewster County, Texas Brewster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas . It is in West Texas and its county seat (and only city) is Alpine . It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region, and borders Mexico . Brewster County is the largest county by area in the state - at 6,192 square miles (16,040 km ) it
590-637: Is half the width of the Rio Grande . The county's area is larger than the combined area of Delaware and Rhode Island, and larger than area of the individual states Connecticut , Delaware , and Rhode Island . The Roadian Age of the Permian Period of geological time is named for rock strata in Road Canyon in the northern part of the county. The Wordian Age of the Permian Period is probably named for
649-722: Is located in Alpine. Brewster County is within the Odessa College District for community college. In 1985, there was a daily subscription of, in the county: 483 for the San Angelo Standard Times , 1.1% of its total circulation; and 270 for the Odessa American , making up 0.7% of its total circulation. In 1985, KVLF-AM, in Alpine, was the only radio station licensed in Brewster County. An individual quoted in
SECTION 10
#1732883754564708-559: Is over three times the size of the state of Delaware , and more than 500 square miles (1,300 km ) bigger than Connecticut . As of the 2020 census , the population was 9,546. The county is named for Colonel Henry Percy Brewster , a Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas . Paleo-Indian hunter-gatherers existed in the region at least 9000 years ago. Mescalaro Apaches emerged later and conducted raids that discouraged settlers. Between 1779 and 1787, Col. Juan de Ugalde drove
767-502: The Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway traverses the county en route to Presidio . Download coordinates as: About 39.4% of Brewster County is classified as having a hot arid desert climate ( Köppen BWh ). The remainder has a semiarid steppe climate with 32.1% experiencing a cold steppe climate (Köppen BSk ), while 28.5% is assigned as a hot steppe climate (Köppen BSh ). Temperatures are coolest and rainfall most abundant in
826-580: The Terlingua International Chili Championship , and the Original Terlingua International Chili Cookoff . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 6,192 square miles (16,040 km ), of which 6,184 square miles (16,020 km ) are land and 8.5 square miles (22 km ) (0.1%) are covered by water. It is the largest county in Texas by area. The only substantial water
885-475: The Trans-Pecos area and northern Chihuahuan Desert . The center serves as the eastern visitor center for the Big Bend Ranch State Park and interprets the archaeological, historical, and natural history of the Big Bend region. This article about a location in Brewster County, Texas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a protected area in Texas
944-444: The census of 2000, 7,304 people, 2,530 households, and 1,864 families resided in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile (0.77 people/km ). The 3,299 housing units averaged 1 units per square mile (0.39/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 84.95% White, 0.27% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 13.48% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. About 84.36% of
1003-538: The 1940s. Presidio County has no oil or gas production. Presidio County's unusual shape has it facing more of Mexico than the rest of the United States. The county is bounded on the east by Brewster County, on the north by Jeff Davis County, and on the south and west for 135 miles (217 km) by the Rio Grande and Mexico. Along the international border, the county faces the Manuel Benavides and Ojinaga Districts of
1062-546: The Big Bend. The request was denied by Maj. Gen. Frederick Funston , who believed such security was a state issue. Although a number of events took place to effect policy change, the tipping point was the May 5, 1916, raid at Glenn Spring. Only nine soldiers had been stationed in the area for protection against the bandits. Estimates vary as to the number of Mexican raiders who attacked the soldiers, from 60 to several hundred. The raid caused
1121-557: The Chili Appreciation Society. Fellow columnist Wick Fowler joined in the fun and became a charter member. The World Championship Chili Cookoff at Terlingua began as a tongue-in-cheek challenge between Fowler and humorist H. Allen Smith in 1967 and has become a November tradition, celebrated across the state and nation. On the first Saturday in November Terlingua now hosts two competing international chili championships:
1180-484: The Comanche Trail through Persimmon Gap and down Tornillo Creek to the Rio Grande. A year later, a second camel expedition under 2d Lt. William Echols also explored along the Rio Grande. Brewster County was marked off in 1887 from Presidio County and named for Henry Percy Brewster . Murphyville, later renamed Alpine, was selected as county seat. In response to threats of ongoing Indian attacks, Camp Peña Colorado
1239-578: The Hotel Paisano for two months. High Lonesome , released in 1950, starring Chill Wills and John Drew Barrymore, was filmed in Antelope Springs, near Marfa. The county was mentioned in Hunter during part one of "City Under Siege" in the 1988–89 season. In The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada , the mountains of Presidio County stand as Coahuila, where Pete carries friend Mel to be buried among
SECTION 20
#17328837545641298-590: The Mescalaros back north across the Rio Grande and into the Chisos Mountains . The three leading Mescalero chiefs, Patula Grande, Quemado, and Zapato Tuerto, agreed in March 1789 to submit to Spanish rule. Comanche raiding parties continued through much of the 19th century. Spanish explorers Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1535 and Antonio de Espejo in 1583 crossed Brewster County on their way to La Junta de los Ríos,
1357-579: The Mexican border. Paleo-Indians ( hunter-gatherers ) existed thousands of years ago on the Trans-Pecos , and often did not adapt to culture clashes, European diseases, and colonization. The Masames tribe was exterminated by the Tobosos, circa 1652. The Nonojes suffered from clashes with the Spanish and merged with the Tobosos. The Spanish made slave raids to the La Junta de los Ríos, committing cruelties against
1416-526: The Rio Grande. In October 1851, Danish -born Col. Edvard Emil Langberg, Mexican commandant of Chihuahua , visited southern Brewster County. Surveyor William H. Emory in 1852 sent M. T. W. Chandler to survey what is now the heart of Big Bend National Park. Chandler explored Santa Elena Canyon, the Chisos Mountains Mariscal Canyon, and Boquillas Canyon. An 1859 expedition of the U.S. Camel Corps under 2d Lt. Edward L. Hartz explored
1475-404: The Trans-Pecos, although generally agreed to comprise its more southern portions. Characterized by an extremely rugged, arid Chihuahuan Desert landscape, the region takes its name from the sharp northeastward turn made by the Rio Grande nearby. Often noted for its stark beauty, the Big Bend was described by the historian Walter Prescott Webb as "the finest example of earth-wreckage in Texas". It
1534-419: The United States . Presidio County is reliably Democratic. In 2008 United States presidential election , Barack Obama received 71.3% of the county's vote while John McCain received 28.0%. In the 2012 United States presidential election Barack Obama received 70.56% of the county's vote and Mitt Romney received 27.74%. In the 2016 United States presidential election , Hillary Clinton received 66.0% of
1593-553: The United States and is larger than the state of Rhode Island . Big Bend Ranch State Park (located partially in Presidio County ) opened to the public in 1991; at 300,000 acres (1,200 km ), it is the largest state park in Texas. Terlingua produced 40% of the nation's quicksilver in 1920, but declining population has since qualified it as a ghost town . In 1962, The Dallas Morning News columnist Francis X. Tolbert published his ode to chili Bowl of Red and founded
1652-580: The Word Ranch in the Glass Mountains, also in the northern part. U.S. Highway 90 crosses the county in the north; U.S. Highway 385 enters Brewster County from the northeast and proceeds south to the county's main attraction, Big Bend National Park , part of the Big Bend . The Sunset Route of the Union Pacific Railroad crosses northern parts of the county, and a recently revived portion of
1711-477: The area in 1882 as part of Company B of the Texas Rangers assigned to protect the railroad. By 1882, he had settled near Alpine and taken up ranching, branching out later to become a merchant and civic leader. Jackson is known locally as the father of Sul Ross University due to his efforts that helped lead to the establishment of the school. Sul Ross University, named for Texas Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross ,
1770-661: The area in 1882 to help his brother's ranching operation, founding the A. S. Gage Ranch , one of the largest ranching operations in Texas, in 1883. In 1927, he built the Gage Hotel in Marathon . Legendary lawman and later Texas Rangers Hall of Fame member James B. Gillett served as sheriff of Brewster County, and operated a ranch in Alpine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He later retired to his Barrel Spring Ranch in Jeff Davis County . Joseph Daniel Jackson came to
1829-491: The border. As Presidio County entered the 1930s the people faced a drought and a population decline. Low silver prices closed Presidio Mine at Shafter. Economic recovery began by 1936. During World War II , Presidio County enjoyed economic prosperity as the home for two military installations-Fort Russell and Marfa Army Airfield. In late January 1918, during a period of tension between the US and Mexico, Texas Rangers and citizens of
Barton Warnock Visitor Center - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-482: The county ten miles from Valentine in adjoining Jeff Davis County. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 6,131 people, 2,580 households, and 1,291 families residing in the county. As of the 2010 United States census , 7,818 people resided in the county. About 85.9% were White , 1.0% Asian , 0.7% Native American , 0.6% Black or African American , 9.9% of some other race, and 1.9% of two or more races ; 83.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of
1947-405: The county was $ 19,860, and for a family was $ 22,314. Males had a median income of $ 23,218 versus $ 16,208 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 9,558. About 32.50% of families and 36.40% of the population were below the poverty line , including 43.40% of those under age 18 and 44.10% of those age 65 or over. The county's per capita income makes it one of the poorest counties in
2006-533: The county's northern highlands and in the upper elevations of the Chisos Mountains in the south. In the southern lowlands along the Rio Grande, snowfall is uncommon, rainfall much reduced, and summer high temperatures can be extreme. Throughout the county, precipitation falls mostly from May through October with the remainder of the year predominantly dry. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 9,546 people, 4,292 households, and 2,300 families residing in
2065-628: The county's vote while Donald Trump received 29.5%. In the 2020 United States presidential election , Joe Biden received 66.0% of the county's vote while Donald Trump received 32.5%. The Howard Hawks film Rio Bravo , released 1959, starring John Wayne , Dean Martin , and Ricky Nelson , was set in Presidio County, but filmed in Tucson. The Riata house and exteriors for Giant , released 1956, were filmed at Marfa. The big stars, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, and others stayed at
2124-586: The county. The growth of Presidio County's population in the 1910s reflected the impact of the Mexican Revolution on border life. Refugees migrated to the county from Chihuahua as the fighting moved into northern Mexico. The United States Army established several posts in the county. Marfa became the headquarters for the Big Bend Military District, and in 1917, the Army established Camp Marfa, later called Fort D. A. Russell , at Marfa to protect
2183-662: The county. As of the 2015 Texas population estimate program, the population of the county was 9,152: non-Hispanic whites , 4,934 (53.9%); non-Hispanic blacks , 76 (0.8%); other non-Hispanics, 261 (2.9%); and Hispanics and Latinos (of any race), 3,881 (42.4%). Per the prior 2010 United States census , 9,232 people resided in the county; 86.6% were White , 1.1% Black or African American , 1.1% Native American , 0.7% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 7.6% of some other race and 2.8% of two or more races . About 42.4% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). These school districts serve Brewster County: In addition, Sul Ross State University
2242-418: The county. Milton Faver bought small tracts of land around three springs-Cibolo, Cienega, and La Morita and established cattle ranches. He built Fort Cienega and Fort Cibolo. Presidio County was established from Bexar County on January 3, 1850. Fort Leaton became the county seat. The county was organized in 1875 as the largest county in the United States, with 12,000 square miles (31,000 km ). Fort Davis
2301-446: The first Christmas Mass in Texas at La Junta. In 1832, José Ygnacio Ronquillo was issued a conditional land grant, and established the county's first white settlement on Cibolo Creek. Military obligations forced him to abandon the settlement, and he then sold the land. The Chihuahua Trail connecting Mexico's state of Chihuahua with Santa Fe, New Mexico , opened in 1839. By 1848, Ben Leaton built Fort Leaton , sometimes called
2360-427: The first barbed wire fence in the county at Antelope Springs in 1888. The widespread use of barbed wire resulted in the refinement of cattle breeds, improvement of ranges, and innovative use of water supplies. Windmills, water wells, and earthen tanks were introduced on Presidio County ranches in the late 1880s. Elephant Butte Dam was built in 1910 on the Rio Grande, creating a large, reliable irrigation source for
2419-588: The growth of desert shrubs and cacti, extends from the Rimrock to the flood plain of the river. Along the Rio Grande River, irrigation allows the farming of vegetables, grains, and cotton. No permanent streams exist in the county, although many arroyos become raging torrents during heavy rainfalls. Major arroyos are Alamito Creek, Cibolo Creek, Capote Creek, and Pinto Canyon. San Esteban Dam was built across Alamito Creek about 10 miles (16 km) south of Marfa and on
Barton Warnock Visitor Center - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-455: The higher elevations of the Davis and Chinati Mountains. By contrast, the lowlands along the Rio Grande along the southern and western areas of the county are dry with often extreme summer daytime heat and where winter snowfall is unusual. Throughout the county, May through October marks the rainy season, while the remainder of the year is predominantly dry. Miller Ranch is located in the far north of
2537-528: The junction of the Rio Grande and the Rio Conchos . In 1684, Juan Domínguez de Mendoza camped at Kokernot Spring and wrote the earliest recorded description of it. Pedro de Rábago y Terán , Governor of Coahuila in the 1740s, led an expedition to La Junta de los Ríos. Northern Mexican military governor Lt. Col. Hugo Oconór led a 1772 expedition to locate sites for forts on the Comanche Trail along
2596-535: The largest adobe structure in Texas, on the river as his home, trading post, and private bastion. Leaton died in debt in 1851, with the fort passing to the holder of the mortgage, John Burgess. In 1934, T. C. Mitchell and the Marfa State Bank acquired the old structure and donated it to the county as a historic site. The park was opened to the public in 1978. Milton Faver became the county's first cattle baron. In 1857, he moved his family to Chinati Mountains in
2655-580: The last non-Republican candidate (as of 2024) to win the county was Barack Obama in 2008. However, unlike the rest of southern Texas, the county swung towards Biden in the 2020 election, albeit by less than one percent with both candidates gaining in vote percentage. Brewster County appears in the poem by Campbell McGrath , "Sunset, Route 90, Brewster County, Texas," featured in his book American Noise . 29°48′43″N 103°15′06″W / 29.81185°N 103.2517°W / 29.81185; -103.2517 Presidio County, Texas Presidio County
2714-422: The lights might have been Apaches, but later found no evidence of an Apache encampment. Since that time, the lights continue to appear between Marfa and Paisano Pass. Speculation and fascination spark imaginations about the source. Some say they are caused by car headlights; some say extraterrestrial visitors. One theory is that the lights are similar to a mirage caused by atmospheric conditions. Marfa celebrates with
2773-546: The mountains, vary from 33 °F (1 °C) in January to 100 °F (38 °C) in July. Average rainfall is 12 inches (300 mm) per year, mainly in June, July, and August. The growing season extends for 238 days. Natural resources under production in 1982 were perlite, crushed rhyolite, sand, and gravel. Silver mining contributed greatly to the economy of the county from the 1880s to
2832-655: The native population. The Suma-Jumano tribe sought to align themselves with the Spanish for survival. The tribe later merged with the Apache people. Foraging peoples who did not survive the 18th century include the Chisos, Mansos, Jumanos, Conchos, Julimes , Cibolos, Tobosos, Sumas, Cholomes , Caguates, Nonojes, Cocoyames, and Acoclames. The entrada of Juan Domínguez de Mendoza and Father Nicolás López in 1683–84 set out from El Paso to La Junta, where they established seven missions at seven pueblos. In 1683, Father López celebrated
2891-571: The north and west, clay and sandy loam cover the rolling plains known as the Marfa Plateau and the Highland Country, providing good ranges of grama grasses for the widely acclaimed Highland Herefords. In the central, far western, and southeastern areas of the county, some of the highest mountain ranges in Texas are found. These peaks are formed of volcanic rock and covered with loose surface rubble. They support desert shrubs and cacti and dominate
2950-463: The north by Jeff Davis County , and on the south and west for 135 miles (217 km) by the Rio Grande and Mexico. Marfa , the county seat, is 190 miles (306 km) southeast of El Paso and 150 miles (241 km) southwest of Odessa. The center of the county lies at 30°30' north latitude and 104°15' west longitude. Geographically, Presidio County comprises 3,857 square miles (9,990 km ) of contrasting topography, geology, and vegetation. In
3009-425: The population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 2,530 households, 40.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.50% were married couples living together, 13.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were not families. Around 24.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size
SECTION 50
#17328837545643068-423: The site of a historic spring-fed tinaja in 1911 as an irrigation and land-promotion project. The reservoir lake is a source of water for irrigation. Tinaja refers to a depression in the land formed by water flow from a spring, or under a waterfall. In this arid county, it is due to the spring. Altitudes in the county vary from 2,518 to 7,728 feet (767 to 2,355 m) above sea level. Temperatures, moderated by
3127-538: The state of Chihuahua, Mexico, on the south side, and the municipality of Guadalupe of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, on its southwestern side. Download coordinates as: More than half of Presidio County, 54.6%, experiences a hot arid desert climate ( Köppen BWh ). The remainder has a semiarid steppe climate with 34.7% classified as a cold steppe climate (Köppen BSk ) and 10.8% as a hot steppe climate (Köppen BSh ). Temperatures are coolest and rainfall most abundant in
3186-534: The village of Porvenir murdered 15 local Hispanic residents . The economy of the county in 1982 was based primarily on agriculture, with 83% of the land in farms and ranches. Wagon trains on the Chihuahua Trail reported seeing unexplained lights in the mid-19th century. The first recorded incident of the Marfa Lights was in 1883 when Robert Reed Ellison and cowhands camped at Mitchell Flats. They thought
3245-413: Was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.43. In the county, the population was distributed as 32.70% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 24.90% from 25 to 44, 20.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.00 males. The median income for a household in
3304-468: Was created by an act of the 35th Legislature in 1917 as a state normal college to train teachers. The population grew from 710 in 1890 to 5,220 in 1910 due for the most part to industries that relied on natural resources. From the turn of the 20th century through World War II , the Terlingua Mining District, west of the Chisos Mountains, was a boom town due to the extraction of cinnabar ,
3363-426: Was established in 1879 a few miles south of the future site of Marathon. Word of mouth about the open rangeland in the area was spread by freighters John W Burgess and August Santleben, leading the way for settlers. The Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built through the area in 1882, opening up opportunity for entrepreneurs who came on railroad-related business and stayed. Alfred S. Gage moved to
3422-498: Was for this reason that a national park was to be established in the region. Big Bend National Park was established as a state park in 1933 by the state legislature, and expanded the same year by Governor Miriam A. Ferguson . In 1935, the United States Congress passed legislation founding it as a national park. Big Bend opened to the public in 1944. At just over 800,000 acres, it is the fourteenth largest national park in
3481-484: Was named the county seat. The boundaries and seat of Presidio County were changed in the 1880s. Marfa was established in 1883, and the county seat was moved there from Fort Davis in 1885. In 1854, the army built Fort Davis in northern Presidio County. Fort Davis closed during the Civil War and reopened in 1867. The black population increased to 489 when Buffalo Soldiers were stationed at Fort Davis. John W. Spencer,
#563436