Texas Pecos Trail Region Newsletter June 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:

Pecos Trail Partners Event — 1 Fort Clark Springs Pecos Trail Partners Event — Fort Clark

TPTR Partners Event, Cont’d 2 The Texas Pecos Trail Region held our bi-monthly Partners Event on Travel Itinerary: 2 May 19 at Fort Clark Springs TX. We had guests from Austin, Brackettville, Outdoor Museums Crane, Eldorado, Fort Clark Springs, Junction, and Sonora. Real Places 2016 Conference 3 Attendees toured the historic district of Fort Clark that includes many

Goodnight Loving 150th Anniversary 3 buildings and sites throughout the 1850s-1940s period of the fort. Russell Nowell of the Fort Clark Historical Society (and also a TPTR board Preservation Spotlight: 3 Monahans Sandhills State Park member) led the group inside the Old Guardhouse Museum to view artifacts and exhibits pertaining to the fort’s history, and then to Dickman Jun Calendar of Events 4 Hall, once the Officer’s Club, where a bar is set to open later this summer Contact Information 4 and which offers a large events area. We also visited the spring-fed swimming pool built in the 1930s, viewed the former residence of George Patton, and toured inside the fort hospital, now an activities center. TPTR Board of Directors After lunching at Las Moras Grill near the 18-hole golf course, we discussed TPTR business matters such as 2015 website statistics and Bill Hodges (Chair) Rancher, Eldorado brochure mail-outs, recent and upcoming travel shows and promotions, a heritage tourism grant for Crane’s Goodnight Loving 150th Anniversary, Ellen Crossland (Vice Chair) Mendoza Trail Museum, McCamey and Fort Lancaster’s Western Frontier Days and visitor center re-opening.

Peggy Kelton (Secretary) Bill Haenn of the Friends of the Fort Clark Historic District presented a Upton Cnty Historical Commission, McCamey slide show of the fort’s National Historic Landmark application project.

Betty Damron (Treasurer) We appreciate Fort Clarks Springs director Richard Lawrence, Mr. Crane County Historical Commission, Crane Nowell and Mr. Haenn, Cindy at Las Moras Grill, and all who assisted with Russell Nowell making this an enjoyable and educational experience. Please join us at our Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville next bi-monthly Partners Event! Sherry Phillips Former Mayor of McCamey

Bill Simon More Smart Choice Auto Group, Junction Pics on

Jefferson Spilman Pg 2 Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Sheffield

Ruben Vargas Trendy T’s, Midland

TPTR Partners Event, Fort Clark — Cont’d

Travel Itinerary: Outdoor Museums Museum complexes that include multiple exhibit areas and an open-air experience!

Whitehead Memorial Iraan Museum and Alley Museum Oop Fantasyland Del Rio Iraan

With about 20 outdoor exhibits, This small-town visitor site offers this site just south of downtown exhibits relating to the famous brings to life a Jersey Lily replica, a Yates oil family, archeological doctor’s office, blacksmith shop, an specimens, a wind turbine, and 1870s irrigation canal, and more. large Alley Oop cartoon cut-outs.

Million Barrel Museum West of the Pecos Museum Monahans Pecos

Visitors can explore the original Located on Hwy 285 in downtown 1928 outdoor oil-storage tank, old Pecos, this historic treasure jail, railroad car and museum, the includes a hotel and saloon filled historic Holman House, and the with artifacts, a Jersey Lily replica, Rattlesnake Bomber Base Museum. Clay Allison’s gravesite, and a shaded park for picnicking and relaxation. Museum of the Southwest Permian Basin Petroleum Midland Museum Midland This cultural site incorporates the main art gallery inside the 1937 Dedicated to the Permian Basin oil Turner Mansion, a children’s industry, this museum site is an museum, planetarium with state- immersive experience that of-the-art dome shows, and includes many galleries, drilling outdoor sculpture. rigs, and vintage race cars.

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

Pecos Trail Newsletter Jun 2016 Page 2 Real Places 2016 Conference Goodnight Loving 150th Anniversary

Don’t forget to register for the Real Places 2016 heritage Crane TX will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the travel conference, which will be held June 13-15 in Austin TX Goodnight-Loving Trail cattle drive in 1866 that passed at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. through Horsehead Crossing and then northwest up the Presented by the Texas Historical Commission in Pecos River into New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. partnership with the Friends of the THC, Real Places 2016 Many exciting and fun events brings together individuals and organizations passionate have been planned during the about identifying, saving, and leveraging heritage travel three-day event from July 2-4, destinations and the stories they tell about a community. including driving tours to Attendees will learn best practices for promoting their Horsehead Crossing, art gallery community’s historic places and connect with colleagues and show, kid’s rodeo, cowboy from County Historical Commissions, Main Street programs, poetry contest, Lonesome Dove local governments, chambers of commerce, convention and movie night, chuck wagon picnic, workshop with renowned visitors bureaus, preservation organizations, historic sites, local artist Mike Capron, magician and illusionist Mike Baffle, and travel industry experts. Topics featured will include antique car show, parade, Elvis tribute performance, and live culinary tourism, historic highways, creating tours and visitor music by Jake Hooker. There will also be vendors, food, experiences, and promoting anniversaries. games, and historical reenactments. Real Places 2016 will also provide technical training for Charles Goodnight was a former CHCs, county staff, and county officials. The Texas Historic Texas Ranger and Indian scout. Courthouse Preservation Program will present its Texas Oliver Loving was a pioneer Courthouse Stewardship Workshop for county officials and cowboy and rancher. The two men facilities managers. The CHC Outreach Program will provide joined together to supply the need orientation and leadership training to CHC appointees. for cattle and beef at Ft. Sumner for the outpost and Indians For more information, including a schedule, registration, living on reservations. The cattle drive in June of 1866 and speaker bios, visit realplaces.us. For questions about comprised about 2,000 heads of cattle and 18 cowhands. registration, contact (512) 258-7474 or [email protected]. For a detailed schedule or to purchase tickets visit https://goodnightlovingcelebration.wordpress.com/.

Preservation Spotlight

Experience the wonder of sand dunes at the Monahans Sandhills State Park. Located a few miles east of Monahans, the park offers various activities including the unique sport of sand-surfing, picnic tables, campsites with hook-ups and showers, and a nature trail for hiking and wildlife viewing. There are 800 acres available for horseback riding (visitors must provide their own horses), with a trailer parking area, fenced corrals, and nearby portable water. Native Americans were present in the area as early as 12,000 years ago, and the sandhills were sighted by Spanish Explorers about 400 years ago. The park opened in 1957 to preserve the West Texas sand hills and its natural habitats and for public recreation. The Dunagan Visitor Center near the park’s entrance encourages tourists to view hands-on exhibits on nature and archeology and to select from a number of books, travel guides, and gift shop items. Nearby one can access the nature trail and several historical markers. Monahans Sandhills State Park is included on the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, with opportunities for birders to spot a diversity of seasonal, migratory, and permanent species. There is also a historic building located in the park, a section house built in 1903 along the Texas & Pacific Railroad for track foremen. Because of early preservation efforts, the Monahans Sandhills have provided recreational experiences to folks for decades. Daily entrance fees are $4 adult (free for child 12 and under) and the park is open year-round. To learn more call (432) 943-2092 or visit http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/monahans-sandhills.

Pecos Trail Newsletter Jun 2016 Page 3 Regional Upcoming Events

Jun Event – Location Jun Event – Location

1-31 Vintage Hat Happenings Exhibit — Crockett County 18 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Library, Ozona Southwest, Midland 2 Summer Off the Patio— Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, 19 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the Ft. Stockton Southwest, Midland 3 First Friday Art Walk — Downtown Del Rio 22-25 West of the Pecos Rodeo — Buck Jackson Arena and 3 Galleria Art Walk — Victorian House, Eagle Pass Sheriff’s Posse Barn, Pecos 3 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa 24-25 Outlaw Pro Rodeo & Sutton County Days — Sutton 4 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, County Fairgrounds and Arena, Sonora Brackettville 24 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio 4 Cowboys and Cajuns — Kimble County Courthouse 24 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa Square, Junction 25 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the 4 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland Southwest, Midland 26 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the 5 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the Southwest, Midland Southwest, Midland 30 Summer Off the Patio— Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, 6 “Ragtime” the Musical — Wagner Noel Performing Arts Ft. Stockton Center, Midland/Odessa 9 Crockett County 4-H Rodeo — Fair Park Arena, Ozona 10-11 Mex-Tex Family Fiesta — Cimarex Pavilion, Midland Statewide Events, Workshops, Etc. 10 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio 10 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa Jun 9-10 Texas Rural Challenge — Waco Convention Center— 11 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, This year’s conference theme is Small Town Big Ideas. Brackettville Learn best practices, engage in networking opportunities, 11 Car Show and Cookout — Polo Park Estates, Midland and attend workshops and presentations that focus on 11 Little Market on Main— Pocket Park next to business and economic development. Click here to learn Secondhand Treasures, Del Rio more and register. 11 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland Jun Real Places 2016 Heritage Travel Conference — AT&T 12 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the 13-15 Executive Education and Conference Center, Austin — Southwest, Midland Presented by the Friends of the Texas Historical 16 Summer Off the Patio— Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, Commission, this new conference represents a lucrative Ft. Stockton and growing sector of the tourism industry. Three days of 16 Third Thursday Reading Program — George W. Bush workshops, guest speakers, panel discussions, and Childhood Home, Midland networking. Open to all individuals involved in heritage 17-20 Juneteenth Celebration— Woodson Park, Odessa tourism. To learn more and register visit realplaces.us. 17 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio 17 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa Jun 27 - TTIA Travel & Tourism College — Hyatt Regency Lost 17 Golden Girl of the Old West Revue and Miss Cantaloupe Jul 1 Pines Resort, Bastrop — Travel and tourism professionals Pageant — High School Auditorium, Pecos convene for one week each summer for an intensive 18 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, curriculum in marketing, management, and leadership. Brackettville Designed as a 3-year certification course. To learn more 18 Lee Young Texas Ranger Book Signing — Whitehead and register visit www.ttia.org. Memorial Museum, Del Rio

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 Jun 2016 Page 4