Postcard From Terlingua, Texas

Just south of Alpine on Texas Hwy 118 going to Terlingua is where civilization takes an abrupt vacation.  This seemingly endless highway, devoid of towns, gas stations, motels, stores and most other cars is like a road leading to the end of the world. If you are the kind who likes isolation and simplicity, the 80 miles of desert, ranch land and mountains have the ability to awe you with beauty. A drive through any desert can be very enjoyable if you have a reliable car, but if your car is sickly, this is one of those roads that should only be aspired to rather than attempted.

Man has inhabited the area around Terlingua for at least 10,500 years. The Comanche and Apache Indians controlled the region for many generations. Explorers occasionally came here, but never stayed. The land was too remote, too harsh, and the fierce Indians drove away even the hardiest and most dedicated. In the late nineteenth century, after the Indians had been largely subjugated and removed by the soldiers, a few settlers came to this wild area to try and make a go of it, but the land accepted civilization only reluctantly.

To call the area settled and fully civilized today would be stretching it. It takes a different kind of person to live here year-round. The few ranchers, desert-rats, and other residents are strong-willed, determined, stubborn individualist who protect their way of life and freedom with fierceness not usually seen in "normal" folks. There are few police and the area is large. If people here have a problem, they take care of it themselves. And if one of their own needs help, they're right there to lend a hand. A lot of people would like to live that way, but few actually can.

Once you pass the Longhorn Ranch Motel, you know you are close to the town. There is no town limit sign, no official boundary. Stubbornly remaining unincorporated, you are either in town or you are not. Like most of Texas, being in Terlingua isn't so much a matter of physically being there as it is a state of mind.

Cinnabar in the area was found and used by Native Americans who prized its bright red color for body art and as paint for rock and cave paintings. Mexican miners had discovered the cinnabar deposits by the 1850's, but until the 1890's, the remoteness and hostile Indians prevented wide-scale mining. Since mercury was used in the fuses of bombs and bullets, mining in the area took off in the early 1900's and continued through 1945 until the conclusion of WWII greatly reduced the market. The population plummeted from 3,000 to zero within weeks of the mines closing and Terlingua became a true ghost town with abandoned buildings, mine tailings and discarded cars and wagons rotting away in the desert sun.

Terlingua ruins

Terlingua remained deserted, desolate and lonely until 1967 when Wick Fowler, Frank Tolbert and Carol Shelby organized a chili cook-off to be held in the former town. The whole thing began when H. Allen Smith, a writer from New York, claimed in a magazine article that nobody could make better chili than him. The Texas boys promptly answered, claiming Smith was a "know-nothing maker of vegetable stew" and issued a challenge to pit Wick Fowler's Texas chili against Smith's New York version in what they called "The Great Chili Confrontation." Shelby owned a 220,000 acre ranch outside Terlingua so it was decided to host the competition in the ghost town just to see if they could attract a crowd of people to the middle of nowhere. News of the upcoming contest became widely known when it was written up in numerous national publications, including Sports Illustrated.

More than 1,000 people showed up for that initial contest, all of them sleeping in tents or their cars since there were no lodging facilities. Large quantities of alcohol was imbibed and all sorts of foolishness and nudity was not only tolerated, but encouraged. In the middle of it all, Fowler and Smith managed to cook their chili. 3 judges were tasked with determining a winner. The contest was declared moot when the tie-breaker judge gagged on a spoonful of Smith's chili and fell to the floor in gastric distress. He eventually was able to claim his taste buds had been damaged beyond repair and he had been rendered physically incapable of submitting a vote.

From that debaucherous start, a few hardy individuals began arriving to live in the crumbling buildings. A commune of hippies tried, but failed to create a sustainable desert utopia. Eventually, others came who wanted to settle there because they liked the isolation or needed the remoteness to leave their past behind and get a clean start. Asking a person about their past was considered rude and could even be dangerous.

Terlingua has come a long way since that first chili cook off. Some of the roads are now paved and there are several motels, gas stations, stores and a new post office building.  Business warriors and moneyed elites from Austin and Georgetown have started buying up property and refurbishing structures into weekend retreats. A private airport has been built. The little ghost town far from anywhere even has Wi-Fi. Progress has arrived.

Terlingua Store

Some folks, like myself, would rather civilization and progress not touch this place. I selfishly would like for it to stay the way it is in my memory, the way it was when I first made trips here in the 1970's.  If I could, I'd tie an anvil to the feet of time in Terlingua, causing it to drag forward slowly, ever so slowly. For now, it's still a cool little town, but it ain't what it was. 

Terlingua Cemetery grave

Old abandoned wagon

The Terlingua Cemetery dates from the early 1900's.
Final resting place for miners & residents who
died in mine accidents, gunfights & the
influenza epidemic of 1918. Very few died
of old age.

 

 

Postcard From Big Bend National Park

In far southwest Texas is a great expanse of raw, untamed land. Within this vast area is one of America's least accessible and least visited national parks. The native Americans who once ruled this realm told a story of how the Great Creator, after forming the rest of the world, saw that he had a lot of odds and ends left over. To get rid of the excess, he simply threw it down in one big area. That area is Big Bend.

Within the 801,163 acre park, flora and fauna is as diverse as any place on the planet. There are numerous species, like the Chisos oak and the Chisos agave, that grow nowhere else on earth. It's not rare even today for botanists and zoologists to announce they have found within park boundaries a heretofore unknown plant or species of animal.

The twin peaks known as The Mule Ears

A portion of the Rio Grande River runs in the park and serves as the boundary between the United States and Mexico. Vertical walls of rock rising 1,600 feet straight up towards heaven form canyons and line much of the Mexico side. Standing beside the water with your head held back looking up toward the top of those cliffs makes one feel very small and insignificant. The enormity of the landscape relieves you of any immediate responsibilities or worries; it simply denies the importance of man-made problems.

Sometimes the sheer magnitude of nature is so incredible, so beyond imagination, expression in words is futile. You will no doubt bring back souvenirs of your visit; books, pamphlets, some rocks from the banks of the Rio Grande, and pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. The pictures will bring back memories and the memories will prove to be the greatest souvenir of all.

Purple Prickly Pear cactus

The sparsely travelled road through the park.

Cactus in bloom

Agave plants, also known as the "Century Plant"
only blooms at the end of a 25 year cycle
and then dies. It looks like it came straight
out of a Dr. Seuss book.

One of the many hiking trails in the park.

Remains of the Boquillas Hot Springs, a former
resort developed in 1909, can be hiked to via
a 1/2 mile trail after a 2-mile drive down a
rough, narrow wash in a high-clearance
vehicle. Relax in the 105 degree water next
 to the gurgling Rio Grande River and
soak your cares away.

The Rio Grande River looking from Texas
into Mexico.

The mouth of Santa Elena Canyon and the
sheer cliffs formed by the Rio Grande. Hard to
imagine all of this was once underwater (a few
million years ago) but it was. Ancient marine
fossils can be found on top of the cliffs. 

Santa Elena Canyon at sunset.

Sunset in Big Bend. The end of another
wonderful day.

Postcard from McDonald Observatory

On top of Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in far West Texas, one of the darkest places in the world, is the McDonald Observatory. Protected under the multiple silver and white domes are large, extremely complicated yet incredibly sensitive instruments that allow mankind to study planets, comets, asteroids, stars and galaxies millions of light years away.

William Johnson McDonald was born on a farm outside the small town of Howland, Texas in 1844. In 1864, when he was 20, he left college and joined the Confederate army. After surviving several battles, he returned after the war ended and graduated in 1867. During this time he developed a deep interest in astronomy, botany, zoology, and geology.

After getting his degree, he supported himself for the next two or three years by teaching school while studying law. He opened a law office in Clarksville in 1881 and became recognized as one of the best civil lawyers of Northeast Texas. He also prospered financially as he served as president of banks that he organized in Clarksville, Paris, and Cooper.

Despite his wealth, he continued to work hard and live modestly. A life-long bachelor, he did not attend social functions and took no part in public affairs. He did, however, make numerous contributions to charity and helped a number of young men get an education. He eventually hired trusted men to operate his banks and traveled to Europe and Mexico, as well as various places in the United States. In 1895 and 1896 he studied botany in summer school at Harvard University.

McDonald never married. He died at his home in Paris, Texas on February 8, 1926, leaving an estate of over a million dollars, the bulk of which he bequeathed to the University of Texas to establish an observatory. His heirs contested the will, and the university eventually made an out-of-court settlement by which it received $800,000.

By 1934, the university used the funds to establish McDonald Observatory. Its 82-inch telescope, the 2nd largest in the world at that time, was used to make many new discoveries, including new moons around Uranus and Neptune in the late 1940's. In the mid-1960's, NASA granted five million dollars to the McDonald Observatory to help build a new reflector telescope with a 107-inch lens which, once again, was one of the largest in the world. In 1997, a 9.2 meter aperture telescope was dedicated. Today, it is still the 5th largest telescope of its kind in the world.

There are numerous programs and tours available for anyone interested, everything from a daytime safe look through a telescope at the sun (about 45 minutes, tickets are $5) through "Star Parties" which include a 1-hour educational program,  constellation touring, telescope viewing, and other presentations (3 - 4 hours, tickets are $12 with a discount for seniors and military). Over 40,000 people attend these events every year and space is limited so be sure to buy your tickets as far in advance as possible.

 

Postcard from a Frontier Fort - Ft. Davis, Texas

Entrance to Fort Davis

An important post in the defense of frontier Texas, Fort Davis played a major role in the history of the Southwest. Between 1854 until 1891, its troops protected emigrants, freighters, mail coaches, and travelers on the San Antonio-El Paso Road on their way to the gold fields of California. Fort Davis is now considered one of the best examples of a frontier military post in the American Southwest.

Named for Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, the fort was first garrisoned by six companies of the Eighth U.S. Infantry. Constructed in a box canyon near Limpia Creek on the eastern side of the Davis Mountains, wood, water, and grass were plentiful. From 1854 to 1861, the soldiers spent much of their time in the field pursuing Comanches, Kiowas, and Apaches. With the outbreak of the Civil War and Texas' secession from the Union, the federal government evacuated Fort Davis. The fort was then occupied by Confederate troops until they abandoned it in the summer of 1862 and Fort Davis was deserted for the next five years.

Ruins of Ft. Davis

In June 1867, four companies of the Ninth U.S. Cavalry reoccupied Fort Davis and construction of a new fort just east of the original post began. By the end of 1869, a number of officers' quarters, two enlisted men's barracks, a guardhouse, temporary hospital, and storehouses had been erected. Construction continued through the 1880's until there were more than 100 structures, including quarters for more than 400 soldiers.

The primary role of safeguarding the west Texas frontier against the Comanches and Apaches continued until 1881, but the last major military campaign involving troops from Fort Davis occurred in 1880. The Comanche had been driven from the area several years earlier and in a series of engagements, units from Fort Davis and other posts forced the Apaches and their leader Victorio into Mexico. There, Victorio and most of his followers were killed by Mexican soldiers. With no more Indians to fight, garrison life at Fort Davis became routine and often boring for long stretches of time. Occasionally, the soldiers were called upon to escort railroad survey parties, repair dirt roads and telegraph lines, and pursue Mexican bandits and horse thieves. In June 1891, Fort Davis was once again abandoned as it had "outlived its usefulness." Over the subsequent years, many of the structures were stripped for lumber and building materials by area ranchers and the site decayed in the harsh West Texas sun. However, some of the buildings were utilized as homes and these were kept in repair and can be seen today in their original condition.

In 1961, the fort was authorized as a national historic site and restoration work began. Today there are 24 buildings fully restored (some are furnished with historically correct furniture and objects) and more than 100 ruins to explore. For those interested in frontier history, this is a must see. Of course, for a site that is over 160 years old, there are many interesting stories. There's even a reported haunting which you can read about on our sister site by clicking here. Ft. Davis is definitely out "in the boonies," but it is well worth the effort to get there.

2-story officer's quarters

Ft. Davis parade grounds. Officer's quarters
to the left.

 

Postcard From Lubbock: Buddy Holly

In 1958, rock-'n-roll music was taking America by storm. Concerts for the musicians were being arranged at everything from supermarket openings and high school dances to large outdoor venues. One of these promotional tours was booked to last three weeks with appearances mostly in ballrooms and armories in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The "Winter Dance Party" tour included some of rock-'n-roll's hottest stars - Dion and the Belmonts, Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, J.P. Richardson and Buddy Holly and the Crickets.

Each of the musicians had their own reason for going on the road with the tour. Seventeen-year-old Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson wanted to expand on their recently-found fame gained from their new hit records. Others were already stars and wanted to increase their popularity. Buddy Holly was one of those stars, but he was in the middle of a financial war with his manager so he signed on for the money.

The opening night performance was held in the Million Dollar Ballroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 23, 1959. In a Milwaukee Sentinel review the next day, a reporter wrote, "It was crazy, daddy - the goings-on Friday night at George Devine's Million Dollar Ballroom. Nearly 6,000 young people turned out to hear such rock 'n' roll stars as Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Big Bopper, Dion and the Belmonts and Ritchie Valens. If you haven't heard them, you haven't lived, man."

Despite that successful opening night and the enthusiastic crowds at every concert, the tour was bedeviled with transportation problems right from the start. The tour managers had saved a few bucks by arranging for the musicians to travel from town to town in an old converted school bus. During one of the coldest winters anyone could remember, the bus suffered mechanical problems almost every time it was driven. Late one night in the middle of a snow storm, the biggest icons of rock 'n roll were stranded on the side of the road when their bus broke down. With night-time temperatures that often were below zero, the most serious of the problems was the heater. It seldom worked and even when it did, it never got the bus close to comfortable. One particularly cold night when it didn't work at all, Carl Bunch, the Cricket's drummer, ended up in the hospital with frostbitten feet. He didn't know it then, but it was fortuitous. The next day, J.P. Richardson purchased a sleeping bag with his own money hoping it would help keep him warm enough to sleep. As it turned out, he would never get to use his new sleeping bag.

 On February 2, the tour played at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. While visiting backstage with the owner, Buddy Holly asked about the possibility of chartering a plane to take him and the remaining two Crickets, Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings, to the tour's next gig in order for them to get some laundry done and to get some much needed sleep. The ballroom owner called a pilot friend and made the arrangements.


Buddy Holly statue at the
West Texas Walk of Fame

Things started to change when the other musicians heard about the plane. J.P. Richardson was suffering with a bad head cold so he asked Waylon for his seat. At first, Jennings said no, but Richardson offered to give him his new sleeping bag in exchange and, feeling bad for his sick friend, Jennings agreed to the swap. Ritchie Valens pestered Allsup to give up his seat for a future, "I'll owe you." Several times Allsup refused, but finally agreed to a coin flip. It came up heads and Valens won the seat.

The passengers arrived at the airport shortly after midnight, each paying $36 for the flight. The plane took off on a heading to Fargo, N.D. at 12:50 A.M. Observers said all appeared normal until suddenly the plane's taillight descended and then disappeared. Efforts to contact the pilot failed. A search for the plane began, but it wasn't until midmorning the next day that the wreckage was found in a farmer's field about 5 miles north of the airport. There were no survivors.

A Civil Aeronautics Board investigation later blamed the crash on the pilot's inexperience with instrument flying and an inaccurate weather briefing which underestimated the severity of an approaching storm. Forensics determined that the pilot, Roger Peterson, age 21, musicians Buddy Holly, age 22, J.P. Richardson, age 28, and Ritchie Valens, age 17, had all died upon impact. It was rock 'n roll's first major celebrity tragedy.

J.P. Richardson is buried in Beaumont, Texas, Ritchie Valens is buried in Los Angeles and Buddy Holly is buried next to his parents in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Over 50 years after his death, thousands of tourists and fans from around the world still visit Buddy's grave, leaving sunglasses, guitar picks, and coins to honor him. In tribute to its most famous son, Lubbock has established a well-regarded museum, The Buddy Holly Center. The city also established the West Texas Walk of Fame to honor various West Texans. It consists of a series of plaques which surround a memorial statue of Buddy. He was unanimously chosen by civic leaders as the first inductee. A year later, Waylon Jennings was selected as the 2nd musician to be honored. 

The grave marker for one of rock 'n roll's most famous musicians, a member of the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, influencer of such luminaries as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Elton John, is inconspicuous. It feature's a simple carving of his electric guitar and is inscribed with the original spelling of the family's name, "In loving memory of our own Buddy Holley, September 7, 1936 - February 3, 1959."