Texas Pecos Trail Region NewsletterSeptember 2016

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

Inside this Issue:

State Fair of Texas — 1 Partner Participation State Fair of Texas

Invite to Pecos Trail Partners Event— 2 Partner Participation Sept 22, Ft. Lancaster The Texas Pecos Trail Region will once again share booth space Travel Itinerary: 2 with the Texas Heritage Trails in the popular Food & Fiber Pavilion Historic Forts to promote tourism destinations statewide. We will offer copies of TPTR Seeking Board Members 3 our Regional Travel Guides and the new Texas Heritage Travel Guide,

News on the Pecos Trail 3 as well as travel literature for destinations and visitors sites throughout the state. Preservation Spotlight: 3 Annie Riggs Memorial Museum The State Fair, held at the Fair Park in Dallas between Sept. 30- Oct. 23, 2016, is one of America’s largest, longest and most historic Sept Calendar of Events 4 state fairs. It is attended by about 3 million people, with a Contact Information 4 conservative estimate of 20,000 people visiting our booth. This is a great opportunity for partners and communities within our region to promote their Visitor attractions to a diverse cross-section TPTR Board of Directors of potential travelers. Bill Hodges (Chair) Cost to participate is $100 per organization($75 for current Rancher, Eldorado TPTR member). Please limit one brochure and 300 copies. You Ellen Crossland (Vice Chair) have been emailed instructions on how to sign up to send brochures Mendoza Trail Museum, McCamey directly to the State Fair. To sign up to send brochures or to Peggy Kelton (Secretary) Upton Cnty Historical Commission, McCamey volunteer your time in the booth can be done thru the following website. Betty Damron (Treasurer) Crane County Historical Commission, Crane

Russell Nowell Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville

Sherry Phillips Photos Former Mayor of McCamey From Bill Simon Nomis & Associates, Junction Last Jefferson Spilman Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Sheffield Year

Ruben Vargas Trendy T’s, Midland

Invite to Pecos Trail Partners Event, Ft. Lancaster September 22

The next bi-monthly Pecos Trail Partners Event will be held on September 22, starting at 10 am at Ft. Lancaster in Sheffield, Tx (U.S Hwy 290) The public is welcome to attend, and we particularly encourage the attendance of people involved in Heritage Tourism. Guests will tour the Visitors Center and hear all the stories about how the Fort started. Then everyone can tour the Ft. Lancaster grounds. Step back in time to the days of wagons passing thru the West. Hear about the Indians attack and how the soldiers were able to save the Fort.

Cost of lunch is $10 per person and will be collected at the door. Please RSVP by September 15 to Melissa Hagins at [email protected] or 432-212-5910

We look forward to seeing you there.

Travel Itinerary: Historic Forts Experience military history and frontier settlements in the Pecos Trail Region!

Fort Duncan Fort Clark Eagle Pass Brackettville

Established in 1849 on the banks of Founded in 1852 at Las Moras Creek the Rio Grande. Museum includes and operating through artifacts related to early pioneers, WWII. Comprises several dozen military personnel, local business, historic buildings, museum, hotel, the Kickapoo Indians, and more. and a variety of visitor attractions Remains of 1868 barracks nearby. and recreation.

Fort Lancaster Fort Stockton Sheffield Ft. Stockton

Located in the Pecos River basin in Built in 1858 near Comanche 1855. Includes a visitor center with Spring. Visitors can experience the exhibits of early fort history and wide open parade grounds, walking tour through the ruins of original and reconstructed the original fort. Now a THC His- buildings, and a museum toric Site. containing historical exhibits.

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

Pecos Trail Newsletter Sept 2016 Page 2 TPTR Seeking Board Members A note from the Executive Director

Are you involved in heritage preservation and Hello, tourism within the 22-county Pecos Trail Region? Do you have an interest in the economic development, quality of My name is Melissa Hagins and I am the new life, and historical legacy of West Texas and our communi- Executive Director. I am excited to be a part of the Her- ties? The Texas Pecos Trail Region would welcome your itage Trails and specifically the Pecos Trail Region. I volunteer service as a board member. know I have big shoes to fill and I look forward to this Our organization — part of the Texas Heritage Trails opportunity. Program administered by the Texas Historical Commission I reside in Midland and have been working to — promotes heritage tourism in the Trans-Pecos area. We move the office here. I graduated from Midland High believe that heritage tourism has the potential to play a School and came back after getting my degree at Texas significant role in the economic development especially for Tech. Currently I serve as a Member at Large on the small cities and rural areas. Summer Mummers Board and have been a part of the Currently we have a strong board composed of nine show for the last 7 years. I am also a volunteer in many members. But we can have up to eleven, and we are different areas of my local church and the Community always looking for fresh blood and a continuous rotation of Theatre. heritage tourism advocates to strengthen our I was recently the Convention Sales Manager at grass-roots organization. the Midland CVB . I have experience in working with Board members are critical to sustaining the Pecos Trail many aspects of the tourism industry. Region and making decisions that impact heritage tourism. I look forward to working with all our attractions They must make reasonable attempts to attend our bi- in helping bring visitors to your sites. I plan to start trav- monthly board meetings, held in different communities eling around the region to see all that the Pecos Trail has throughout the region. Our Partners Events provide the to offer. I am excited to meet everyone and start promot- opportunity to network with others and learn about the at- ing our wonderful region. If you need anything please tractions that enhance the visitor experience. give me a call or drop me an email. I hope to meet every- For more info please contact Melissa at (432) 212-5910 one very soon. or [email protected]. Sincerely, Melissa Hagins

Preservation Spotlight

Ft. Stockton grew up around its namesake military fort where farmers used Co- manche Springs to irrigate crops. One of the most colorful local characters was a hotel owner named Annie Riggs, who married the notorious gunslinger Barney K. Riggs and later persevered under various adversities as a true testament to her courageous pioneering spirit. The 1899 Riggs Hotel is now the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum that pre- serves the hotel’s wide verandas, wrap-around porches, and courtyard. Exhibits showcased in the original adobe structure’s thirteen rooms represent Victorian ele- gance on the West Texas frontier. The parlor, lobby, dining room, and kitchen rec- reate the Riggs Hotel from the turn of the century with historic photographs, arti- facts, and period furnishings. Exhibit areas are dedicated to archaeology, geology, religion, ranching, Hispanic heritage, and pioneers. Recent improvements to the museum building include a new roof, new gutters, and re-painted exterior walls. Web pages at historicfortstocktontx.com and www.TourTexas.com have been created for the museum as well. Free live music concerts have been held on the courtyard patio every other Thursday evening from June through August. The heritage site houses a gift shop with regional and Western items, including an excellent book selection of local and Texas authors. The museum is owned and operated by the Fort Stockton Historical Society. Contact the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum at 432-336-2167. Location is 301 S. Main in downtown Ft. Stockton. Museum hours are Monday thru Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm.

Pecos Trail Newsletter Sept 2016 Page 3 Regional Upcoming Events

Sept Event – Location Sept Event – Location

1-30 Vintage Hat Happenings Exhibit — Crockett County Library, Ozona 1-30 Time Traveler Works by Norman Kary— Ellen Noel Art For more details on upcoming events, please visit the Events Museum, Odessa or Highlights sections at http://texaspecostrail.com. 2 First Friday Art Walk — Downtown Del Rio 9-17 Permian Basin Fair and Expo—Ector County Coliseum, Odessa 10 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville 10-11 September Fest—Museum of the Southwest, Midland 15 Third Thursday Reading Program — George W. Bush Childhood Home, Midland 15 Dieciseis de Septiembre Celebration—Plaza San Juan, Eagle Pass Statewide Events, Workshops, Etc. 16-18 de Septoembre Fiestas—Santa Rosa de Lima Catholic Church, Pecos 17 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Sep 30 - State Fair of Texas — Fair Park, Dallas — Large fair Brackettville Oct 23 attracting millions of visitors and opportunity to 17 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the promote partner travel guides at the Heritage Trails Southwest, Midland Program booth inside the Food & Fiber Pavilion. For 17 10th Annual Toro Loco Bull Riding Challenge—Ozona more details, participation cost, and shipping 23-25 St. Ann’s Family Fair—St. Ann Catholic Church, Midland information, contact [email protected]. 24 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville Oct Texas Travel Summit — George R. Brown Convention 24 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the 10-12 Center, Houston — Presented by Texas Travel Industry Southwest, Midland Association. Keynotes speakers, marketing strategies 24-25 Kermit Celebration Days—Downtown, Kermit and trends, networking opportunities, and more. Open to TTIA members and non-members. To learn more and register visit www.ttia.org.

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

Texas Pecos Trail Region, P.O. Box 7045, Midland, Texas 79708 Cell 432-212-5910 Email [email protected] Website http://texaspecostrail.com

Executive Director and newsletter publisher: Melissa Hagins

Pecos Trail Newsletter Sept 2016 Page 4