Fort Davis to Fort Stockton
The Davis Mountains rise up along the southwestern feature of northwest Texas, the Permian Basin, one of the nation’s leading energy producing areas. North of the Davis Mountains, oil and gas reign, south of the mountains, barren desert. Leaving Fort Davis we head northeast, emerge from the mountains and skirt the southern edge of the Permian Basin.
The highway leaves Fort Davis and winds through a narrow canyon as we exit from the Davis Mountains out onto the plains to the northeast.
Our next stop is Fort Stockton, a historic watering point on the journey across parched west Texas.
Fort Stockton
Paisano Pete greets visitor at the main intersection in town.
Fort Stockton grew up along the western edge of the Comanche Springs, historically one of the largest cluster of natural springs in west Texas, at one time pumping out nearly 60,000,000 gallons of water each day. Pictures from the late 1800’s show a flowing creek lined with reeds and trees.
This is a picture of Comanche Springs today.
What happened? Turns out that the water laws of Texas lead to the demise of the springs, which last flowed above ground around 1961. Under Texas state water law, the state owns water flowing on the surface but individual land owners have rights to the water underground. A single family, the Williams, is primarily responsible for the decline of the spring. In 1951 the advent of diesel-fueled pumps allowed the Williams to sink a number of water wells just west of the springs to tap into the aquifer that fed the springs to irrigate farmland. The dropping of the aquifer and release of water pressure through the wells led to the end of the natural action that created the springs. But our story begins back in the late 1859 when the water flowed freely and the land on the west side of the springs was the perfect site for a US Army fort, designed to protect travelers along the San Antonio-El Paso road from the neighboring Comanche. The make-shift army camp was temporarily abandoned during the Civil War but in 1867 a permanent fort was built on the bluff above the springs and was an army post until it was abandoned in 1886. The fort was declared excess government property and sold off in pieces to locals. A few buildings remain around the large parade ground. There is a small museum in one of the warehouses that is closed on the day I visit. Three houses remain on Officer’s Row, the one on the right is still a private residence.
Across the way there are a number of enlisted men’s barracks and assorted storerooms.
Smaller and less important than Fort Davis, at its’ peak approximately 30 buildings made up Fort Stockton. Today Fort Stockton, home to around 8,000 people, is an important service spot for oil companies and their workers along the southern edge of the Permian Basin. Interstate 10 skirts the northern edge of Fort Stockton, but the “new” part of town is a long strip along Dickinson Boulevard, the old highway running east/west through town.
Of greater interest is the older part of town, spread out along a number of blocks south of the railroad tracks towards the springs. Farming and ranching lead to growth in the early 1900’s, when most of the old town core was constructed. The county jail, originally built in 1884 and remodeled in 1913, and the Pecos County Courthouse, built in 1911, anchor the southern edge of the main street.
The courthouse square is bordered by some of the oldest buildings in Fort Stockton. The southwest corner is the site of the original 1876 telegraph office (small left end) and attached to it is the first school in Fort Stockton, added in 1883.
The northeast corner across from the courthouse houses two of the institutions of early Fort Stockton. The 1890 Grey Mule Saloon started life as a saloon and over the years has housed a restaurant, post office and currently a wine tasting business.
Across the street from the Grey Mule is the Riggs Hotel, originally built in 1900 as the Koehler and then purchased by local legend Annie Riggs in 1904. The hotel is built of adobe brick with Victorian gingerbread trim of wood. A picture from the early days as well as one I took show that little has changed over the years.
The hotel floorplan is essentially a capital “F” with guest rooms along the long side and the end. The middle housed the kitchen and dining area. A small parlor where Annie entertained her guests by playing the piano is just off the front door. Chairs for tourists to sit in while they watch a video about the hotel fill the room.
The kitchen/dining area contain a number of interesting artifacts from the early days of the hotel.
The tall wooden cabinet was called a “Hoosier Cabinet” and served as a multi-purpose piece of furniture. The large metal bin in the upper left held flour with a built-in sifter and a small window so you could see how much flour was left. The bottom drawer was lined with tin to discourage pests and stored bread and sugar. The work surface slides out to provide additional work area.
Electricity came to Fort Stockton in 1911 and Annie purchased the first electric stove in Fort Stockton in 1922. It still works!
The kitchen wing and far right wing enclose a small courtyard. Guest rooms opened out directly onto a covered walkway that bordered the courtyard.
Each of the guest rooms contains memorabilia focused on a particular topic.
A few items stand out. A cabinet holds the graduation dress worn by Helen Jackson Bell in the first graduating class from Fort Stockton High School in 1914.
The room focusing on the evolution of the town’s business community contains a safe that served as a secure place for the community to store valuables prior to the construction of the first bank in town. Herman Koehler was a leading businessman in town, owning the local store, and the safe was in his store. The visible keyhole was a false keyhole, the real one was concealed under one of those buttons on the façade.
A room dedicated to transportation includes a “Chuck Box”, designed to fit into a Model T. A survival kit for early automobile travelers, it contained spaces for food, water, tools and other emergency supplies.
The rooms are relatively large and were furnished to meet the needs of the traveler.
The view from the front porch of the hotel looks down upon the site of the original Comanche Springs (now a park) and Young’s Store. The date of the construction of the original building is not known, but the Young’s opened their store in the building in 1876.
Around the corner from Young’s store is the Koehler Store, which fronts on the springs. The first floor was built in 1878 and by six years later expanded to house a store, bank and saloon. The second floor was added in 1930’s.
Today the old main street is lined with buildings showing the passing of time. The imposing building in the foreground of the first picture was the First National Bank, built in 1912, now the home to the Fort Stockton Police Department.
The only sign of life is an amazing home décor store. Much larger than the storefront suggests it is a warren of rooms crammed with unique items, most apparently imported from Mexico.
Another eclectic visit to a west Texas town!
Next up: The Big Country
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