Fort Stockton to San Angelo
Fort Stockton is the service center for the southern basin oil fields and as we head northeast along the edge of the Permian Basin evidence of wind mills pumping water out of the ground into tanks for cattle ranching and oil derricks occasionally interrupt the rolling Texas landscape.
Closer to San Angelo a series of low ridges ripple across the horizon as we cross from the Permian Basin into the Concho River Valley.
The highway slowly descends as the desert gives way to the prairies of central Texas. The Concho River Valley marks the southwest edge of the area of Texas referred to as the “Big Country”, anchoring the southern plains between the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex on the east and the Permian Basin to the west.
The center of the Concho Valley is San Angelo, a city of over 100,000 people straddling the North Concho River near the confluence of the three tributaries that form the Concho River as it winds across a broad valley.
San Angelo
Concho is the Spanish word for shell, and early explorers named the river after a unique species of mussels that thrive in the Concho River and produce fresh water pearls. Five major frontier trails converge in the area and so a fort was established on the south bank of the North Concho River in 1867 and for the next 22 years served as protection for the area.
German stonemasons from Fredericksburg were brought in to assist with the construction of the fort and rather than adobe (which melted under the torrential rains common in prairie thunderstorms), the buildings were built from local limestone. The arrival of the railroad and pacification of the frontier lead to the decommissioning of the fort in 1889. It was sold to private interests until the middle of the twentieth century when the city of San Angelo acquired ownership and began restoration. The fort resembles others that we have seen as a series of buildings constructed around the large central area. The exterior of the buildings have been meticulously restored but most of the interiors are not open to the public. Even fewer of those were open on the day that I visited. Enlisted men barracks line the northern side of the parade ground, officers’ quarters line the south side. The headquarters anchor the east end.
The view from the front porch of the headquarters building looking west shows the barracks on the right and officer’s houses on the right.
While the exterior restorations are pretty impressive, the lack of interior availability is a bit of a “downer” until I stumble upon another one of those hidden gems that occasionally enliven a trip. One of the officer’s homes has been converted into a small museum dedicated to the history of the telephone, complete with an amazing collection of antique telephones.
The first floor of the home is essentially two rooms, each filled with interesting displays.
The walls are lined with a fascinating display of the history of the telephone.
This 1895 wall phone was used in rural areas where voice amplification was a problem compensated for with two batteries attached to the bottom.
A common telephone for the home in 1900 was the Kellogg wall phone.
This 1905 wall phone was designed for use in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
Pay phones had five slots for silver dollars, half dollars, quarters, dimes and nickels. Each slot created a different sound for the telephone operator, which was how she kept track of how money the user had deposited in order to award the correct amount of time.
An 1890 pay home had four slots, not accepting silver dollars.
A 1900 telephone was mounted to the ceiling, allowing phone access where wiring walls was not practical.
The phones just go on and on…
As I leave the fort, I look east and try to get all of the fort in one picture. The enlisted men’s barracks is on the left, headquarters in the middle, and officer’s houses on the right.
Once the fort was established a small area of saloons and brothels grew on the north bank of the river opposite the fort. The river is now lined by green spaces and parks as it winds through the central city.
Originally christened “Across the River”, this are grew into the city center of San Angelo. Today a couple of blocks along Concho Street remain of the buildings constructed in the 1880’s.
The south side of the block is anchored by a relatively new business, Eggmeyer’s General Store, started in 1988 and a key to the revitalization of the area.
Eggmeyer’s spills over into the adjacent buildings on both sides and offers an incredible array of items in a unique shopping experience form gourmet foods to toys to jewelry, all for a price. This is NOT a five and dime store…
San Angelo was one of the first cities in west-central Texas to benefit from the oil boom of the 1920’s, most of the city core just north of Concho Street was built during that era. There are a number of empty store fronts and abandoned buildings in the central area, today’s retail activity has moved to the usual cluster of big box stores and the mall perched at the western edge of the city.
The downtown area is dominated by the Cactus Hotel. The fifteen story building is the tallest in San Angelo and can be seen from miles outside of the city as it pierces the sky above the Texas prairie. The hotel, opened in 1929, was the fourth hotel built by Conrad Hilton at the beginning of his career. The hotel is in a genteel state of decline, with just the “Hotel” remaining of the landmark neon sign on top of the building.
No longer a hotel, the lobby and ballroom are now available for special events with the floors above a mixture of office and apartment space. The day that I visit the public spaces are set up for a private “Sweet 15” party. A tradition in the Hispanic community, someone is spending a lot of money to celebrate their daughter’s birthday. The lobby is full of chairs awaiting a grand entrance, the upstairs ballroom is ready for the party.
An attempt to honor the history of cattle ranching history and dress up the central core has colorful cows sprinkled around the area.
The northern edge of the central business district includes the classical Tom Green Country Courthouse (1928) and the Art Deco San Angelo City Hall (1929).
Leaving San Angelo we head northeast deep into the “Big Country” region of Texas.
Next up: The Heart of the Country
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