Pecos Trail Region NewsletterOctober 2015

TPTR Mission The Texas Pecos Trail Region develops and promotes heritage preservation and tourism throughout the richly diverse West Texas area.

Inside this Issue:

Pecos Trail Partners Event — 1 Sanderson Pecos Trail Partners Event — Sanderson TPTR Partners Event, Cont’d 2 The Texas Pecos Trail Region held our bi-monthly Partners Event on Travel Itinerary: 2 Wool & Mohair September 17 in Sanderson, the “Cactus Capital of Texas.” Folks attended from Brackettville, Crane, Langtry, McCamey, Rankin, Sanderson, HOTW Wildlife Map Release Event 3 Sheffield, and Sonora. Texas Archeology Month 3 We met at the Terrell County Convention Center, where visitors are

Preservation Spotlight: 3 greeted with travel guides, local history, and gift items. Guests walked Eagle Pass Main Street over to the Papalote gift shop to browse a wide variety of antiques, books,

Oct Calendar of Events 4 Texas wines, hand-made items, and souvenirs, as well as enjoy the outdoor patio. We also delighted in visiting the new Heritage Garden Contact Information 4 downtown, a wonderful peaceful place to stop and relax and enjoy a natural setting in West Texas. Topics at the business meeting included the upcoming State Fair, TTIA TPTR Board of Directors Travel Summit, West Texas Trip initiative, and the Heart of Texas West Bill Hodges (Chair) map release celebration in Ozona. We also discussed ideas for a future Sonora Main Street, Sonora event promoting historic cattle trails. The board awarded the Crane Ellen Crossland (Vice Chair) Mendoza Trail Museum, McCamey County Historical Commission a small grant to install lighting for their museum’s large outdoor mural. Peggy Kelton (Secretary) Upton Cnty Historical Commission, McCamey We appreciate the delicious meal provided by the Ranch House Restaurant, the assistance of Kinley Coyan in helping to organize the Sherry Phillips (Treasurer) Mayor of McCamey meeting, and our friends in Sanderson for their hospitality.

Betty Damron We look forward to seeing you all at our next Partners Event! Crane County Historical Commission, Crane

Russell Nowell Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville

Bill Simon More Smart Choice Auto Group, Junction Photos Jefferson Spilman on Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Sheffield Pg 2 Ruben Vargas Trendy T’s, Midland

Pecos Trail Partners Event, Sanderson — Cont’d

Travel Itinerary: Wool & Mohair in Southwest Texas A distinctive ranching heritage in the eastern Pecos Trail Region!

Junction Warehouse American Angora Goat Company Breeders Headquarters Junction Rocksprings

Family owned and operating since Founded here in the 1920s, the site 1938 and recipient of a Texas has records of registered goats and Treasure Business Award, this large a champion goat display. Located store downtown offers ranching near the court house square. supplies and feed.

Old Sonora Ice House Crockett County Museum Ranch Museum Ozona Sonora The “Wool and Mohair Room”

features apparel, shearing This museum on the court house machinery, and historic square features an exhibit on photographs. Located on the town Sutton County’s traditional wool square. and mohair industry.

Whitehead Memorial Seminole Canyon State Museum Park & Historic Site Del Rio Comstock

Research materials and an old This state park and historic site photograph are available at this includes an exhibit on the region’s multi-exhibit outdoor museum. wool and mohair heritage, located Located on south Main Street. in the visitor center.

. To learn more of these and other heritage tourism attractions in the Pecos Trail Region visit http://texaspecostrail.com.

Pecos Trail Newsletter Oct 2015 Page 2 Heart of Texas—West Map Release Texas Archeology Month

Texas Parks & Wildlife will soon Each year in October, Texas Archeology Month (TAM) celebrates the archeological heritage of our state with release a reprint of their Heart of educational programs, special events, and guided tours. Texas-West Wildlife Trail Map, Many organizations and institutions across the state bring which includes the eastern half of awareness to and foster appreciation of not only the Pecos Trail Region. prehistoric lifeways, artifacts, and dwellings but also the To celebrate the map release archeological record at historical sites. There are several events in the Pecos Trail Region for and promote its birding and visitors to enjoy archeology. The Rock Art Foundation is wildlife visitor attractions, the having their Annual Rendezvous at White Shaman Ozona Chamber of Commerce will Preserve, Oct. 16-18, which is open to the public, and will host a release party at the Ozona tour as many sites as possible (including Shumla School Visitor Center on October 15. Organizations in and Meyers Springs). Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site is offering the map region are invited to participate and special tours of Presa Canyon and Upper Canyon, guided offer educational programs for event visitors. day hikes into rugged canyonlands where people can view Attractions in the“ Sonora Loop” include Fort a variety of pictographs unique to the Lower . Lancaster, Caverns of Sonora, Eaton Hill Nature The Whitehead Memorial Museum in Del Rio will hold Center, and Escondido Draw Recreation Area. their annual Archeology Fair for the public on Oct. 3, with exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. For more details contact Shanon Biggerstaff at To view the full statewide schedule, see more the Ozona Chamber at (325) 392-3737. information about these events, or add your own event, visit the TAM calendar.

Preservation Spotlight

Eagle Pass Main Street was one of the first five Main Street cities when the program was chartered in 1981. Eagle Pass re-joined the program in 2010, with a dedication ceremony and special visit by the First Lady of Texas, Anita Perry, and the Texas Historical Commission. The Eagle Pass Main Street district includes the historic Maverick County Court House, the Public Library, the Aztec Theatre building, Eagle Grocery, several buildings established or occupied by the Hesles family, and now Museum. Downtown Eagle Pass is economically vibrant, with many retail stores, businesses, restaurants, and bars open to the public. Some notable recent achievements include a restoration plan for the Renaissance-style library building, a dance studio occupying the Aztec Theatre (one of the first movie theaters of its kind built in the U.S.), a revitalized exhibit program at Fort Duncan Museum, façade improvements, and the restoration of the Victorian House (dating from the 1880s) with period-furnished rooms for meetings and events. They’ve held special events downtown including art exhibitions, ghost tours, and Christmas celebrations. The Main Street Program strives to enhance the economic and social well-being of the community by taking pride in its historic downtown and thereby creating a tourist attraction for the city. Main Street cities in general have seen significant economic reinvestment, new businesses, and job creation. You may contact the Eagle Pass Main Street Manager, Joe Cruz, at (830) 773-1111 or [email protected].

Pecos Trail Newsletter Oct 2015 Page 3 Regional Upcoming Events

Oct Event – Location Oct Event – Location

1 Great American Steakout: Grilligan’s Island — La 15 Third Thursday Reading Program — George W. Bush Hacienda, Midland/Odessa Childhood Home, Midland 1 5th Bi-Annual Southwest Texas Oil & Gas Trade Show — 15 Heart of Texas West Wildlife Trail Map Release Crockett County Convention Center, Ozona Celebration— Visitor Center, Ozona 2-3 Reeves County Fall Fair & Livestock Show — Reeves 16-18 Rock Art Foundation Annual Rendezvous — White County Civic Center, Pecos Shaman Preserve, Comstock 2-3 Sheriff’s Posse Championship BBQ Cookoff — Sheriff’s 16-18 Oktoberfisch Fly Fishing Festival — Morgan Shade RV Posse Barn, Pecos Park and South Llano River, Junction 2 First Friday Art Walk — Downtown Del Rio 16-17 Trappers & Fur Hunters Rendezvous — Coke Stevenson 2 Oktoberfest — Ector County Coliseum, Odessa Memorial Center, Junction 3-31 Midland Arts Association Fall Juried Show — McCormick 17-18 Fiddlesticks Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch — Art Gallery, Midland College, Midland Fiddlesticks Farms, Midland 3-4 Fiddlesticks Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch — 17-18 “Arsenic and Old Lace” — Permian Playhouse, Odessa Fiddlesticks Farms, Midland 17 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, 3-4 Briar Patch Trade Days — Ector County Coliseum, Brackettville Odessa 17 Presa Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State 3 Tradiciones de Oro — James Roberts Center, Andrews Park & Historic Site, Comstock 3 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, 17 Old Fort Day — Historic Fort Stockton, Ft. Stockton Brackettville 17 Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market — Museum of the 3 Archeology Fair — Whitehead Memorial Museum, Southwest, Midland Del Rio 17 Parker House Roundup — CAF Hangar, Midland/Odessa 3 Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market — Museum of the 17 Asleep at the Wheel with Midland-Odessa Symphony — Southwest, Midland Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, Midland/Odessa 3 Midland Quilt Show — Grand Texas Hotel & Convention 17 Handmade Harvest Craft Show — Ward County Center, Midland Convention Center, Monahans 3 October Fest — Buck Jackson Arena, Pecos 18 Upper Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State 3 Dry Devils River Music Flood — Sutton County Park, Park & Historic Site, Comstock Sonora 23 Tom Lea Day — Ellen Noel Art Museum, Odessa 9-11 Permian Basin Horror Fest — Ector County Coliseum, 24-25 Fiddlesticks Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch — Odessa Fiddlesticks Farms, Midland 10-11 175th Anniversary Observance — Fort Clark, 24-25 “Arsenic and Old Lace” — Permian Playhouse, Odessa Brackettville 24 Fiesta de Amistad — Downtown Del Rio 10-11 Mountain Bike with a Ranger — Seminole Canyon State 24 Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market — Museum of the Park & Historic Site, Comstock Southwest, Midland 10-11 Fiddlesticks Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch — 24 Kooky Karnival — Ector County Coliseum, Odessa Fiddlesticks Farms, Midland 30-31 Haunted House — Casa de la Cultura, Del Rio 10-11 “Arsenic and Old Lace” — Permian Playhouse, Odessa 30 Halloween in the Park –- West of the Pecos Museum, 10-11 Old Sorehead Trade Days — Downtown Stanton Pecos 10 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, 31-1 Fiddlesticks Farm Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch — Brackettville Fiddlesticks Farms, Midland 10 Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market — Museum of the 31 Midland Downtown Farmers’ Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland Southwest, Midland 10 West Texas Beer Jam Festival — Ector County Coliseum, Odessa For more details on upcoming events, please visit the Events or Highlights sections at http://texaspecostrail.com.

The Texas Pecos Trail Region Newsletter is scheduled for website publication and electronic distribution each month.

Texas Pecos Trail Region, P.O. Box 212, Sonora, Texas 76950 Office 325-387-3900 Cell 325-206-2571 Fax 325-387-3977 Email [email protected] Website http://texaspecostrail.com

Executive Director and newsletter publisher: Scott Jordan

Pecos Trail Newsletter Oct 2015 Page 4