Presidio County, Texas

Last updated

Presidio County
County
Marfa courthouse.jpg
Presidio County Courthouse in Marfa
Map of Texas highlighting Presidio County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of Texas
Texas in United States.svg
Texas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 30°00′N104°14′W / 30°N 104.23°W / 30; -104.23
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of Texas.svg  Texas
Founded1850
Named for Presidio del Norte, an eighteenth-century fort
Seat Marfa
Largest city Presidio
Area
 • Total
3,856 sq mi (9,990 km2)
 • Land3,855 sq mi (9,980 km2)
 • Water0.7 sq mi (2 km2)  0.02%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
6,131
 • Density2.0/sq mi (0.8/km2)
Congressional district 23rd
Website www.co.presidio.tx.us

Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,131. [1] Its county seat is Marfa. [2] The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1875. [3] 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. [4] It is on the Rio Grande, which forms the Mexican border.

Contents

History

Native Americans

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. [5] 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 the native population. [6] 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. [7]

Early explorations and settlements

The entrada of Juan Domínguez de Mendoza [8] and Father Nicolás López [9] in 1683–84 set out from El Paso to La Junta, where they established seven missions at seven pueblos. In 1683, Father López celebrated the first Christmas Mass in Texas at La Junta. [10]

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. [11]

The Chihuahua Trail connecting Mexico's state of Chihuahua with Santa Fe, New Mexico, opened in 1839. [12] [13]

By 1848, Ben Leaton built Fort Leaton, sometimes called 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. [14] [15] [16]

Milton Faver became the county's first cattle baron. [17] In 1857, he moved his family to Chinati Mountains in 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. [18]

County established and growth

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 km2). Fort Davis 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. [19]

In 1854, the army built Fort Davis in northern Presidio County. [20] 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. [21] [22]

John W. Spencer, 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. [23] From 1883 until 1942, the mine produced over 32.6 million ounces of silver. [24]

The railroad reached Presidio County in 1882, when the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway laid tracks through its northeastern corner. [25]

Map of Presidio County, Texas, and the counties of Brewster, Buchel, Foley, and Jeff Davis created from Presidio in 1887: Buchel and Foley were abolished and joined to Brewster in 1897. PresidioAndNewCounties1888.jpg
Map of Presidio County, Texas, and the counties of Brewster, Buchel, Foley, and Jeff Davis created from Presidio in 1887: Buchel and Foley were abolished and joined to Brewster in 1897.

W. F. Mitchell built 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. [25]

Windmills, water wells, and earthen tanks were introduced on Presidio County ranches in the late 1880s. [26]

Elephant Butte Dam was built in 1910 on the Rio Grande, creating a large, reliable irrigation source for the county. [27] [28]

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 the border. [29] 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. [30] [31]

In late January 1918, during a period of tension between the US and Mexico, Texas Rangers and citizens of the village of Porvenir murdered 15 local Hispanic residents. [32]

The economy of the county in 1982 was based primarily on agriculture, with 83% of the land in farms and ranches. [25]

Marfa Lights

Wagon trains on the Chihuahua Trail reported seeing unexplained lights in the mid-19th century. [33] [34] [35] The first recorded incident of the Marfa Lights was in 1883 when Robert Reed Ellison and cowhands camped at Mitchell Flats. [36] [37] They thought 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 a Mystery Lights Festival every Labor Day. [38]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,856 square miles (9,990 km2), of which 3,855 square miles (9,980 km2) are land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (0.02%) is covered by water. [39] 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 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 km2) of contrasting topography, geology, and vegetation.

In 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 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 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 the site of a historic spring-fed tinaja in 1911 as an irrigation and land-promotion project. [40] [41] 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. Capote Falls, which is formed by Capote Creek, is the tallest waterfall in the state. [42]

Altitudes in the county vary from 2,518 to 7,728 feet (767 to 2,355 m) above sea level. Temperatures, moderated by 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 the 1940s. Presidio County has no oil or gas production.

Major highways

Adjacent counties and municipios

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 the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, on the south side, and the municipality of Guadalupe of the State of Chihuahua, Mexico, on its southwestern side.

Climate

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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). [43] Temperatures are coolest and rainfall most abundant in 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.

Candelaria
Climate data for Candelaria, Texas (June 1, 1940–July 22, 2011)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)66.6
(19.2)		72.4
(22.4)		80.7
(27.1)		89.3
(31.8)		96.6
(35.9)		101.9
(38.8)		100.0
(37.8)		97.7
(36.5)		92.9
(33.8)		85.6
(29.8)		74.6
(23.7)		66.8
(19.3)		85.4
(29.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)31.5
(−0.3)		35.2
(1.8)		40.6
(4.8)		48.2
(9.0)		56.5
(13.6)		65.3
(18.5)		68.2
(20.1)		66.4
(19.1)		61.5
(16.4)		49.9
(9.9)		38.1
(3.4)		31.6
(−0.2)		49.4
(9.7)
Average precipitation inches (mm)0.44
(11)		0.36
(9.1)		0.27
(6.9)		0.36
(9.1)		0.65
(17)		1.48
(38)		2.17
(55)		2.26
(57)		1.99
(51)		1.19
(30)		0.39
(9.9)		0.45
(11)		12.01
(305)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute [45]
Marfa
Climate data for Marfa #2, Texas (December 1, 1958–July 31, 2009)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)60.2
(15.7)		63.9
(17.7)		71.2
(21.8)		78.8
(26.0)		85.8
(29.9)		91.2
(32.9)		89.6
(32.0)		87.5
(30.8)		83.6
(28.7)		77.3
(25.2)		67.6
(19.8)		60.8
(16.0)		76.5
(24.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)25.7
(−3.5)		28.1
(−2.2)		33.5
(0.8)		41.4
(5.2)		50.1
(10.1)		57.6
(14.2)		60.2
(15.7)		59.1
(15.1)		54.0
(12.2)		44.1
(6.7)		33.4
(0.8)		26.6
(−3.0)		42.8
(6.0)
Average precipitation inches (mm)0.42
(11)		0.47
(12)		0.31
(7.9)		0.59
(15)		1.17
(30)		1.78
(45)		2.73
(69)		2.89
(73)		2.57
(65)		1.39
(35)		0.58
(15)		0.50
(13)		15.4
(390.9)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute [46]
Miller Ranch

Miller Ranch is located in the far north of the county ten miles from Valentine in adjoining Jeff Davis County.

Climate data for Valentine 10 WSW, Texas (March 1, 1897–March 31, 2013)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)63.3
(17.4)		64.0
(17.8)		72.5
(22.5)		78.0
(25.6)		87.7
(30.9)		93.3
(34.1)		92.2
(33.4)		91.1
(32.8)		87.1
(30.6)		79.8
(26.6)		72.1
(22.3)		63.9
(17.7)		78.8
(26.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)29.2
(−1.6)		29.6
(−1.3)		35.7
(2.1)		42.9
(6.1)		52.1
(11.2)		62.6
(17.0)		64.9
(18.3)		62.2
(16.8)		56.4
(13.6)		46.7
(8.2)		35.3
(1.8)		25.2
(−3.8)		45.2
(7.4)
Average precipitation inches (mm)0.57
(14)		0.47
(12)		0.34
(8.6)		0.36
(9.1)		0.83
(21)		1.72
(44)		2.38
(60)		2.43
(62)		2.42
(61)		1.19
(30)		0.51
(13)		0.56
(14)		13.78
(348.7)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute [47]
Presidio
Climate data for Presidio, Texas (October 1, 1927–March 6, 2013)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)67.3
(19.6)		73.9
(23.3)		81.9
(27.7)		90.2
(32.3)		97.4
(36.3)		102.6
(39.2)		101.1
(38.4)		99.8
(37.7)		94.9
(34.9)		87.2
(30.7)		75.7
(24.3)		67.4
(19.7)		86.6
(30.3)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)33.4
(0.8)		38.3
(3.5)		44.6
(7.0)		53.2
(11.8)		62.4
(16.9)		71.2
(21.8)		73.0
(22.8)		71.8
(22.1)		66.5
(19.2)		55.5
(13.1)		41.9
(5.5)		34.4
(1.3)		53.9
(12.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm)0.41
(10)		0.33
(8.4)		0.18
(4.6)		0.31
(7.9)		0.64
(16)		1.22
(31)		1.54
(39)		1.43
(36)		1.48
(38)		0.91
(23)		0.38
(9.7)		0.42
(11)		9.25
(234.6)
Source: Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute [48]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860 580—
1870 1,636182.1%
1880 2,87375.6%
1890 1,698−40.9%
1900 3,676116.5%
1910 5,21841.9%
1920 12,202133.8%
1930 10,154−16.8%
1940 10,9257.6%
1950 7,354−32.7%
1960 5,460−25.8%
1970 4,842−11.3%
1980 5,1887.1%
1990 6,63727.9%
2000 7,30410.0%
2010 7,8187.0%
2020 6,131−21.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [49]
1850–2010 [50] 2010–2020 [51] 2020 [1]

2020 census

Presidio County, Texas – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000 [52] Pop 2010 [53] Pop 2020 [54] % 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)1,0791,13696114.77%14.530%15.67%
Black or African American alone (NH)1027250.14%0.35%0.41%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1322160.18%0.28%0.26%
Asian alone (NH)675850.08%0.96%1.39%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)1000.01%0.00%0.00%
Other race alone (NH)7390.10%0.04%0.15%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)2634440.36%0.43%0.72%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)6,1626,5214,99184.36%83.41%81.41%
Total7,3047,8186,161100.00%100.00%100.00%

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 the census [55] 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/km2). The 3,299 housing units averaged 1 units per square mile (0.39/km2). 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 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 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 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 the United States.

Politics

Presidio County is reliably Democratic, Ronald Reagan having been the last Republican candidate to get even forty percent of its vote. In 2008 United States presidential election, Barack Obama received 71.3% of the county's vote while John McCain received 28.0%. [56] In the 2012 United States presidential election Barack Obama received 70.56% of the county's vote and Mitt Romney received 27.74%. [57] In the 2016 United States presidential election, Hillary Clinton received 66.0% of the county's vote while Donald Trump received 29.5%. [58] In the 2020 United States presidential election, Joe Biden received 66.0% of the county's vote while Donald Trump received 32.5%. [59] Despite a hard rightward shift in heavilly Hispanic South Texas in 2024, in which many counties shifted right by over 10 points, Presidio remained strongly Democratic, with Donald Trump only increasing his vote share by 2 points, making Presidio the only county on the Mexican border where Democrats received over 60 percent.

United States presidential election results for Presidio County, Texas [60]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 68634.40%1,28964.64%190.95%
2020 72132.49%1,46365.93%351.58%
2016 65229.53%1,45866.03%984.44%
2012 50427.74%1,28270.56%311.71%
2008 48927.83%1,25271.26%160.91%
2004 71537.83%1,15961.32%160.85%
2000 61835.17%1,06460.56%754.27%
1996 38322.32%1,20570.22%1287.46%
1992 40021.15%1,18962.88%30215.97%
1988 58633.09%1,17666.40%90.51%
1984 83744.01%99252.16%733.84%
1980 72340.19%1,03957.75%372.06%
1976 68735.49%1,23263.64%170.88%
1972 78553.69%67446.10%30.21%
1968 48130.40%96961.25%1328.34%
1964 43127.14%1,15672.80%10.06%
1960 37630.13%86669.39%60.48%
1956 49448.48%51750.74%80.79%
1952 77055.36%62144.64%00.00%
1948 21218.39%90778.66%342.95%
1944 21120.61%64863.28%16516.11%
1940 16315.04%91784.59%40.37%
1936 10610.10%93889.42%50.48%
1932 11211.46%86388.33%20.20%
1928 25444.64%31555.36%00.00%
1924 6819.54%26776.72%133.74%
1920 12233.33%23865.03%61.64%
1916 279.89%24589.74%10.37%
1912 8725.29%18754.36%7020.35%

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. [61]

The Riata house and exteriors for Giant , released 1956, were filmed at Marfa. [62] [63] [64] The big stars, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, and others stayed at 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. [65]

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 the ruins of his Mexican town of Jimenez.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died at the historic Cibolo Creek Ranch near Shafter, Texas in 2016.

Education

Marfa Independent School District serves eastern Presidio County, while Presidio Independent School District serves western Presidio County. [66]

Presidio County is within the Odessa College District for community college. [67]

Communities

Cities

Census-designated place

Unincorporated communities

Ghost towns

See also

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Brewster County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. It is in West Texas and its county seat 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 km2) it is over three times the size of the state of Delaware, and more than 500 square miles (1,300 km2) bigger than Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpine, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Alpine is a city in and the county seat of Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,035 at the 2020 census. The town has an elevation of 4,462 feet (1,360 m), and the surrounding mountain peaks are over 1 mile (1.6 km) above sea level. A university, hospital, library, and retail make Alpine the center of the sprawling 12,000 square miles (3,108,000 ha) but wide open Big Bend area including Brewster, Presidio, and Jeff Davis counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Davis, Texas</span> Town in Jeff Davis County

Fort Davis is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,201 at the 2010 census, up from 1,050 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Jeff Davis County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valentine, Texas</span> Town in Texas, United States

Valentine is a town in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. Its population was 134 at the 2010 census, down from 187 at the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marfa, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Marfa is a city in the high desert of the Trans-Pecos in far West Texas, United States, between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, at an elevation of 4685 feet. It is the county seat of Presidio County. The city was founded in the early 1880s as a water stop. The population of Marfa peaked in the 1930s and as of the 2020 United States Census the population is 1,788.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidio, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Presidio is a city in Presidio County, Texas, United States. It is situated on the Rio Grande River, on the opposite side of the U.S.–Mexico border from Ojinaga, Chihuahua. The name originates from Spanish and means "fortress". The population was 3,264 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chihuahuan Desert</span> Largest desert in North America

The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower Pecos Valley in New Mexico, and a portion of southeastern Arizona, as well as the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau. It is bordered on the west by the Sonoran Desert, the Colorado Plateau, and the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, along with northwestern lowlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental range. Its largest, continual expanse is located in Mexico, covering a large portion of the state of Chihuahua, along with portions of Coahuila, north-eastern Durango, the extreme northern part of Zacatecas, and small western portions of Nuevo León. With an area of about 501,896 km2 (193,783 sq mi), it is the largest hot desert in North America. The desert is fairly young, existing for only 8000 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Bend (Texas)</span> Geographic region in the western part of the state of Texas in the United States

The Big Bend is part of the Trans-Pecos region in southwestern Texas, United States along the border with Mexico, north of the prominent bend in the Rio Grande for which the region is named. Here the Rio Grande passes between the Chisos Mountains in Texas and the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico as it changes from running east-southeast to north-northeast. The region covers three counties: Presidio County to the west, Brewster County to the east, and Jeff Davis County to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marfa lights</span> Atmospheric light phenomenon in Texas

The Marfa lights, also known as the Marfa ghost lights, are regularly observed near Marfa, Texas, in the United States. They are most often seen from a viewing area nearby, which the community has publicized to encourage tourism. While some wishful onlookers attribute them to paranormal causes including ghosts, UFOs, and flying dinosaurs, they are actually attributable to atmospherically distorted versions of terrestrial-based lights including the headlights of automobiles on the nearby Route 67. One group of university students observed that when they parked a car on the route and flashed its headlights, this was visible at the viewing area and appeared to be a Marfa light. Scientists observing the lights over the period 2000 to 2008 speculated that rare reports of erratically behaving lights were attributable to natural methane reserves through a mechanism similar to that of will-o'-the-wisps; and piezoelectric charge created by the igneous rock under Mitchell Flat.

The Forts of Texas include a number of historical and operational military installations. For over 200 years, various groups fought over access to or control over the region that is now Texas. Possession of the region was claimed and disputed by the European powers of Spain and France, and the continental countries of Mexico, the United States, the Republic of Texas, and the Confederate States of America. Ownership of specific lands was claimed and disputed by different ethnic groups, including numerous Native American tribes, Mexican residents, Anglo- and African-American settlers, and European immigrants. Access to and control of resources were claimed and disputed by various economic groups, including indigenous hunter/gatherers, farmers, herders, ranchers, colonists, settlers, buffalo hunters, traders, bandits, smugglers, pirates, and revolutionaries. Over the centuries, claims and disputes were enforced by Native American warriors, Spanish conquistadors, French cavaliers, Texas Rangers, local militias, and uniformed regular army regiments of Spain, Mexico, Texas, the United States, and the Confederacy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farm to Market Road 170</span> State road in Presidio and Brewster counties in Texas, United States

Farm to Market Road 170 is a 114.6-mile (184.4 km) highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in Presidio and Brewster counties in Texas, United States. The route, known locally as the River Road, runs along the United States side of the Rio Grande which in Texas forms the international boundary between the U.S. and Mexico. The road runs from Candelaria through the city of Presidio as well as several smaller communities and former settlements to State Highway 118 in Study Butte near Big Bend National Park. The road also passes through the southern portion of Big Bend Ranch State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shafter, Texas</span> Ghost town in Texas, United States

Shafter is a ghost town in Presidio County, Texas, United States. The Texas Attorney General's Office listed a population of 11 as of the 2000 Census. It was named in honor of General William R. Shafter, who at one point commanded the nearby Fort Davis. As of 2012, at least one silver mine, La Mina Grande, had been reopened by Aurcana Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinati Mountains</span> Mountains in Texas, United States

The Chinati Mountains of Texas are a small range in the high desert of far West Texas near the city of Presidio. There is a pass through the mountains on Ranch to Market Road 2810, also known as Pinto Canyon Road, which connects to Farm to Market Road 170 at Ruidosa, Texas. Some believe the range derives its name from the Apache word ch'íná'itíh, which means gate or mountain pass.

Milton Faver was a pioneering cattle rancher in Presidio County, Texas, the preeminent cattle baron of the Big Bend in the nineteenth century, and one of the most important individual contributors to Big Bend history. Also known in his time by the honorary title, don Melitón, he founded Cibolo Creek Ranch halfway between Marfa and Presidio, Texas in 1857. He was one of the earliest Texas trail drivers, driving his cattle to market in New Orleans in the 1850s and to other markets later. Although his birthplace is not known with certainty, he was most likely born and raised in Missouri around 1822. Local lore contends that, while in his teens, he fought a duel and fled south, believing he had killed his opponent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Leaton State Historic Site</span> United States historic place

The Fort Leaton State Historic Site is located on Farm to Market Road 170, in Presidio County in the U.S. state of Texas. The original adobe structure was a private residence dating back to the early 19th century. It was purchased in 1848 by Benjamin Leaton, who adapted it as a fortress. Fort Leaton was the Presidio County original seat of government. Through murders, financial difficulties and abandonment, the structure changed hands numerous times. In 1967, it was deeded to the state of Texas and opened to the public in 1978 as a Texas State Historic Site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Presidio County, Texas on June 18, 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cibolo Creek Ranch</span> Historic place in Texas, US

Cibolo Creek Ranch is a historic place in Presidio County, Texas, United States. Established as a cattle ranch prior to the Civil War, it has been used in modern times for hunting and a shooting location for the movie industry. It includes a fort called El Fortin del Cibolo which has been renovated as a luxury hotel featuring watchtowers and three-foot-thick adobe walls.

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