2017-04-17: Judge Roy Bean, an Old Fort, Cemeteries, and the Pecos River

Well our weekend is over and we drove back home along the Texas / Mexico border. Before leaving Eagle Pass, we drove around town checking out some of the historical spots.

Our first stop was down along the border at Fort Duncan. A temporary post called Camp Eagle Pass was established at the start of the Mexican War in 1846 by Captain Sidney Burbank with Companies A, B, and F of the First United States Infantry. In November 1849, the post was renamed Fort Duncan, honoring Col James Duncan, a hero of the Mexican War. The fort consisted of a storehouse, two magazines, four officers quarters, a stone hospital, in addition to quarters for enlisted men. (The red brick building above was the hospital.)

The fort served as a frontier outpost near the trail of California emigrants; a base of operations against hostile Lipan Apache Indians. In 1851 it became the headquarters of the First Infantry. By 1856 the garrison included units of mounted rifles and first artillery. Abandoned in May 1859, the post was re-garrisoned by Robert E. Lee in March 1860 because of border assaults by Juan N. Cortina, desperado of the area. At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the fort was again abandoned only to be occupied later as "Rio Grande Station", by Confederate forces.

In 1861, Fort Duncan was re-garrisoned by the 9th Infantry and headquarters company of 41st Infantry under Col William R. Shafter. Seminole-Negro Scouts, organized here on August 16, 1870, played a large part in ridding Western Texas of Indians. After 1883, the post declined in importance; known as Camp Eagle Pass.

Fort Duncan played a part in aviation history when the first military cross-country flight, from Fort McIntosh in Laredo, landed here in 1911. Its use as a training camp continued during World War I. Mexican border troubles in 1916 again brought reoccupation.

By 1932 the Army abandoned the post. In 1938, the fort property was purchased by the city of Eagle Pass, for use as a Park and Recreation area. The infantry barracks were leased by the Local Council of Boy Scouts.

In 1939 the barracks became the Fort Duncan Country Club and remained as such except during World War II when it was also an officers club for the Eagle Pass Army Air Force Advanced Flying School.

After walking around the fort, we drove north a few blocks to the downtown area looking for the post office. We didn't need the post office, but I had read about an interesting spot on the Find-A-Grave website. This spot, at Rio Grande and Monroe in Eagle Pass, is approximately the site of the first city cemetery here. For some reason, after the 1880's the cemetery was abandoned. It was later developed on and paved over, effectively destroying it. During the construction of a post office nearby in the 1950's, a tombstone was discovered, as well as several graves.

We never did find it though. I wasn't thinking that the current Google search for post office was a different post office from the 1950's. It wasn't until I looked the website again and re-reading the description that we were a few blocks away. Maybe next time passing through we'll find it.

From there we drove over to Shelby Park along the Rio Grande River. The park is mostly used by those leaving their cars on the Texas side and walking across the International Bridge into Piedras Negras. There were also about a half dozen border patrol agents getting ready to launch two airboats for patrol. The photo below looks over into Mexico and the bridge would be located off frame to the left.

Well now it was time to finally hit the road and put some miles behind us. We still had almost five hours of driving with 10 Geocaches and some sites to see along the way. Driving north along US-277 we found three quick caches: one at a cemetery (GC4N23X) and two roadside caches (GC29WHF and  GC35ZC8), before arriving in Del Rio for lunch.

Westbound on US-90, our next cache was the Ye Olde 4-Wheeler (GC36XP2) which brought me to stop and capture a photo of this old west wagon before it completely fell apart.

Next was another cemetery cache (GC3B4NE) in Comstock. In 1882 and 1883, the Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio Railroad built track through Val Verde County and the town was established as a station and named for John B Comstock, a railroad dispatcher. The graves date back to 1883, but there were three that really caught my attention. No stories behind them. It's just the emotion and photo opportunity they gave me. Like this first one of Lucy Denmead who couldn't escape death in 1902, or did she?

Next cache (GC5N4E2) was at the rest area where US-90 crosses the Pecos River. I once passed through here 10 years ago while I used to drive an 18-wheeler, long before this rest area was built. Back then I had to park on the shoulder. The only thing I do remember was the remains of the old highway which ran down towards the river to the original bridge built in 1923 and destroyed by floodwaters in 1954. The current Pecos High Bridge is 1310 feet long and 273 feet above the water, and is the highest highway bridge in Texas.

At this southern end of the Pecos River it empties into the Rio Grande just a half mile down.

Just down the road was another cache (GC2NZHP) and another bridge. These two bridges cross Eagles Nest Creek Canyon just north of the Rio Grande River.

In nearby Langtry was our next cache (GCK9CH) and someplace I've wanted to stop for a long time, the "Law West of the Pecos." In 1882 the lawlessness was so bad that the railroad asked for help from the Texas Rangers. The closest legal authority was in Fort Stockton over 100 miles away. With the blessing of the Rangers and the railroad a proprietor of a store housed in a tent in Vinagaroon was appointed as the first Justice of the Peace in Pecos County (now Val Verde County) August 2, 1882.

Roy Bean never one to stand on ceremony tried his first case the week before the appointment. In 1883 the judge moved his business and his court to Langtry, Texas. There he built the Jersey Lilly Saloon, Court Room and Pool Hall. Some legends cite Bean as being a "hanging" judge, but there is no record that he ever sentenced a man to be hanged. The only law book the Judge ever owned was the 1879 Revised Statues of Texas. Occasionally he actually used it.

The "Judge" had great admiration and fascination for the famous English actress Lillie Langtry. She was internationally know as the "The Jersey Lily so he named his establishment after her. A sign painter commissioned (for food and drink) to letter the sign misspelled "Lily".

One of the most colorful stories about the Judge is true. He successfully promoted the Maher - Fitzsimmons prize fight in February 1896. It was staged in defiance of U.S. and Mexico law on a sand bar in the middle of the Rio Grande River.

A couple more quick caches along the way home and that was the end of another adventurous weekend of exploring the history of the Old West Texas. Thanks again for stopping by and following along in our adventures. Until next time, happy trails.

2016-03-19: Geocaching History in Pecos Texas and a Couple of Cemeteries

With the move last weekend from Lubbock down to Monahans, Texas, we didn't get a chance to go Geocaching and exploring. So today was a good day to get out and explore some new areas and pick up some new counties. Candy had to work a few hours this morning so we got a late start.

We headed west on I-20 towards Pecos and by now it was getting close to lunch time and neither one of us have eaten anything all morning. So a quick Google of restaurants in Pecos and I decided on Old Mill BBQ and Burritos. I ordered the BBQ brisket and sausage, while Candy ordered a cheese burger and fries. And we still got the traditional nachos and salsa while waiting for our food. All the food there was pretty good, so it'll definitely be getting a return visit from us.

Now that we have full bellies, it's time to go exploring and Geocaching! Out first stop was at the rodeo. The first cache (GC234FP) was to highlight that the town of Pecos hosted the worlds very first rodeo. Held a block south of the Pecos courthouse on July 4, 1883. The rodeo started with claims of three cattle ranches having the fastest steer ropers; the NA, the W, and the Lazy Y ranches.

Settlers in town for the Fourth of July picnic were spectators. The prizes were blue ribbons cut by pocket knife from a new dress of a 4-year old girl in the crowd.

The best roper was Morg Livingston of the NA Ranch and second place was Trav Windham of the Lazy Y.

Just down the road was the West of the Pecos Museum and our next Geocache (GC47RDM). On the outside was a replica office and courthouse of Judge Roy Bean, Justice of the Peace and the Law. Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. (c. 1825 – March 16, 1903) was an eccentric U.S. saloon-keeper and Justice of the Peace in Val Verde County, Texas, who called himself "The Law West of the Pecos". According to legend, Judge Roy Bean held court in his saloon along the Rio Grande on a desolate stretch of the Chihuahuan Desert of southwest Texas. After his death, Western films and books cast him as a hanging judge, although he is known to have sentenced only two men to hang, one of whom escaped.

Next to the office was the gravesite of Clay Allison. Robert Clay Allison (September 2, 1841 – July 3, 1887) was a cattle rancher, cattle broker, and sometimes gunfighter of the American Old West. He fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Allison had a reputation for violence, having survived several one-on-one knife and gunfights (some with lawmen), as well as being implicated in a number of vigilante jail break-ins and lynchings. He is posthumously known as the man who "...never killed a man that did not need killing." A drunken Allison once rode his horse through town nearly naked—wearing only his gunbelt.

Also on the grounds was an old jail replica and the Mesquite House, the oldest house in Pecos.


Then came the museum itself. On the right was the original saloon and hotel on the left. Touted as the “best hotel between Fort Worth and El Paso”, The Number 11 Saloon, with guestrooms on the second floor – was built in 1896 of Pecos Valley red sandstone. The quarry was just 8 miles east of Pecos. The three story hotel was added in 1904 by R.S. Johnson. Mr. Johnson, a retired Texas Ranger, was in charge of the saloon and his wife ran the hotel. The hotel served as a headquarters for land promoters, salesmen and families of settlers in the early years of Pecos Valley development. The hotel and saloon were restored in 1962 and opened as the West of the Pecos Museum in 1963. Many civic organizations and groups contributed volunteer hours and resources to the museum’s exhibits. Original pressed tin ceiling, hand – carved newel posts were preserved.. Most of the furnishings in the Number 11 Saloon are original. Over 50 rooms of pioneer history and memorabilia are housed in the old hotel and saloon.

A few blocks away was the Old Pecos Cemetery (GC1P62N). The original burial site of the gunslinger Clay Allison before being relocated outside the museum. The Old Pecos Cemetery was used from 1880 to 1910 by settlers in the Pecos Valley. Originally established for railroad construction workers who died during the building of the railroad. There are only 6 marked graves remaining and some wooden crosses for the unknown.

Leaving Pecos, we headed north on US-285 to Hwy 302 into the small town of Mentone. A quick rest area cache (GC2H0BC) on the west end of town before getting a virtual cache (GC621F) at the Loving County Courthouse. Though I don't understand the name that well considering that "Loving" County is the LEAST populated county in the lower 48 states! In September 2000, National Geographic Magazine did a series of articles on various Zip Codes in the United States. Here is a link to their website for this location: Zip Code 79754.

Our next cache and always a favorite was one placed at a cemetery (GC638RA). Since Loving County is sparsely populated, there aren't any "official" cemeteries. Burials are typically on the family ranch. This Geocache was the only cemetery cache located within the county and had only 3 grave sites. The first was dated 1912 for Shady Davis. Shady Davis was a young cowboy who was fatally injured by being dragged by his horse during a roundup. The two other graves were from 1992 and 2007.
Located on the Slash (Johnson Brothers) Ranch but accessible via a few oil field access roads, it was some rough driving for the GeoPrius. We both agreed (again) that it was time for a Jeep! One of these days... Anyway, we got to within .15 miles from the cemetery when we encountered a rut I thought to be too deep for the car. So we hiked it the remaining way.

After another lonely cache in the middle of nowhere (GC2MX4H), we continued north on US285 almost to the New Mexico state line. There was the location of our next historic Geocache (GC36AG6) along the old section of the Pecos River Railroad. First opening in 1891, it later merged with the Panhandle and Sante Fe Railroad in 1948. Eventually this original section was abandoned in 1990-91.

That was pretty much it for the day. Not a whole lot, but we did have a good adventure and especially enjoyed touring the museum and learning about the history of the area. Tomorrow we have a big hike planned, so we hope you return for that. See you soon.