Texas Pecos Trail Region Newsletter August 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 Midland TX, Petroleum Museum Pecos Trail Partners Event—Midland TPTR Partners Event, Cont’d 2 The Texas Pecos Trail Region held our bi-monthly Partners Event on Travel Itinerary: 2 July 21 in Midland TX at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. Guests Outlaws and Lawmen came from Brackettville, Crane, Eldorado, Junction, Langtry, McCamey, Get Ready for State Fair 3 Midland, Monahans, and Sonora. Jordan Resigns, New ED 3 Museum staff led attendees on a guided tour of the museum, which has been recently renovated with immersive, state-of-the-art exhibits to Preservation Spotlight: 3 Odessa Meteor Crater enhance the visitor experience. Attendees were introduced to the new Permian Sea diorama, historic photos and rare artifacts of the Permian Aug Calendar of Events 4 Basin oil fields and communities, oil and gas exploration technology, Contact Information 4 alternative energy sources, mid-20th-Century cultural life, and the near-futuristic Petrotrekker ride. At the business meeting we discussed recent travel guide promotions TPTR Board of Directors at regional events, funding for the current and upcoming fiscal years, and State Fair participation. The board approved heritage tourism grants to Bill Hodges (Chair) Rancher, Eldorado the George W. Bush Childhood Home in Midland for public reading Ellen Crossland (Vice Chair) programs and to the Kimble County Historical Museum for exhibit Mendoza Trail Museum, McCamey development in their new museum facilities in Junction. Peggy Kelton (Secretary) We greatly appreciate the assistance of the museum’s programs and Upton Cnty Historical Commission, McCamey rentals director Carey Behrends, education director Stacie Hanna, and Betty Damron (Treasurer) McAlister’s for catering. We also thank all who attended and shared their Crane County Historical Commission, Crane input with us. Please join us for our next Partner’s Event! Russell Nowell Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville Sherry Phillips More Former Mayor of McCamey Photos Bill Simon Nomis & Associates, Junction on Pg 2 Jefferson Spilman Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Sheffield Ruben Vargas Trendy T’s, Midland TPTR Partners Event, Midland — Cont’d Travel Itinerary: Outlaws and Lawmen Law and Order in the Old Wild West! Old Sonora Ice House Old Guardhouse Museum Ranch Museum Fort Clark Sonora Founded in 1852 along the San Will Carver, a member of Butch Antonio-El Paso Road, Fort Clark Cassidy’s gang, was killed in 1901 offers a museum that features the in downtown Sonora by the local original jail cells of the fort as well sheriff’s posse. The gun involved is as period artifacts. on display! Whitehead Memorial Judge Roy Bean Visitor Museum Center Del Rio Langtry This multi-exhibit museum This Travel Information Center includes the gravesite of Judge preserves the original Jersey Lilly Roy Bean, along with a replica of courtroom/saloon and residence of the Jersey Lilly. the famous “Law West of the Pecos.” Old Pecos County Jail West of the Pecos Museum Ft. Stockton Pecos The former county jail and sheriff’s Housed in a historic hotel and office still houses the original stone saloon, the museum exhibits the holding tank from the 1880s and life-like automated bartender who steel cell blocks from the mid-20th shot two trouble-makers around century. 1900, as well as a Jersey Lilly replica and Clay Allison gravesite. To learn more of these and other heritage tourism attractions in the Pecos Trail Region visit http://texaspecostrail.com. Pecos Trail Newsletter Aug 2016 Page 2 Get Ready for the State Fair Change of the Guard The Texas Pecos Trail Region will once again share a I will be resigning from my position this month in booth space with the Heritage Trails and other tourism order to attend graduate school at the University of partners at the Food & Fiber Pavilion to promote travel Texas this fall, and specifically to pursue a master’s destinations statewide. We will offer copies of our degree in information science. Pecos Trail regional travel guide, the statewide Texas For more than six years I have enjoyed promoting Heritage Travel Guide, partner brochures, THC historic heritage travel sites in the Pecos Trail Region, learning sites rack cards, state highway maps, Texas Highways about the diverse history and culture of the region, and Magazine issues, and much more. working with communities, groups, and individuals to The State Fair of Texas, held at Fair Park in Dallas enhance the visitor experience. between Sep 30—Oct 23, will be attended by millions Although every site and community is unique, you all of people, many of whom will come through the Food have much in common: the shared history and & Fiber Pavilion. This is a great opportunity for partners geography, personal and business relationships, similar and communities within our region to promote their lifestyles and values, and the challenges you face in visitor attractions to a diverse cross-section of potential preserving your historic sites, recreation venues, and travelers. travel destinations. You are all part of the Pecos Trail Cost to participate is $100 per organization per Region. brochure ($75 for TPTR members). Please limit one The new Executive Director will be Melissa Hagins, brochure and 300 copies. You will be emailed who lives in Midland and offers a range of qualified instructions on how to send your brochures directly to skills, talents, and experience. I think you will find her a the State Fair. wonderful person to work with going forward. For more details or to participate contact the TPTR Keep the faith, folks! Executive Director at [email protected] or (325) 387-3900. Your Friend, Scott Jordan Preservation Spotlight The heritage of the Pecos Trail Region includes the natural heritage of our environment and landscape which has helped to shape our living culture and contribute to modern science history. The Odessa Meteor Crater, located 5 miles west of Odessa city limits just off Interstate 20, was formed about 62,000 years ago when a shower of nickel-iron meteorites collided with the earth. More than 100,000 cubic yards of crushed rock were ejected from the crater by the energy released from the mass of impacting meteorites, with fragments scattering over the surrounding plain. The main crater is about 550 feet across and was originally 100 feet in depth (erosion has since filled in much of it). A walking trail leads into the main crater and smaller craters. The Odessa Meteor Crater, designated a National Natural Landmark in 1965, is the second largest crater recognized in the United States. It was first discovered in 1892 by Julius Henderson, a nearby rancher. However, it was D. Moreau Barringer (whose family owned the famous Barringer Crater in Arizona) who in the 1920s correctly identified the land depression as a meteorite crater. The site, located at 3100 Meteor Crater Rd, has a visitor-friendly museum with exhibits of meteoric rock specimens, tektites, geological studies, maps, historical videos, and science-fiction movie posters. Museum open Tue -Sat 10 a.m.—5 p.m. and Sun 1-5 p.m. Crater trail open for self-guided tours everyday 9 a.m.—6 p.m. Free admission. Call (432) 381-0946 for more information. Also visit www.odessameteorcrater.com. Pecos Trail Newsletter Aug 2016 Page 3 Regional Upcoming Events Aug Event – Location Aug Event – Location 1-31 Vintage Hat Happenings Exhibit — Crockett County 26-27 Summer Mummers — Yucca Theatre, Midland Library, Ozona 27-28 AIRSHO — Commemorative Air Force, Midland/Odessa 1-29 Alex Rubio: Collections — Ellen Noel Art Museum, 27 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Odessa Southwest, Midland 4-6 Rock the Desert — FM 1788, Midland/Odessa 5-6 Summer Mummers — Yucca Theatre, Midland For more details on upcoming events, please visit the Events 5 First Friday Art Walk — Downtown Del Rio or Highlights sections at http://texaspecostrail.com. 5 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio 5 Galleria Art Walk — Victorian House, Eagle Pass 5 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa 6-7 Midland Gun & Blade Show — Midland County Horseshoe, Midland 6 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville Statewide Events, Workshops, Etc. 6 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 6 Cantaloupe Fly-In and Pancake Breakfast — Pecos Air Aug TACVB Annual Conference — Convention Center, El Paso Center, Pecos 15-19 — Networking with convention and visitors bureau 7 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the industry peers, tours, and workshops. To register and Southwest, Midland learn more visit www.tacvb.org. 11 Summer Off the Patio— Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, Ft. Stockton Sep 30 - State Fair of Texas — Fair Park, Dallas — Large fair 12-13 Summer Classic Rodeo — Hill Country Fairgrounds and Oct 23 attracting millions of visitors and opportunity to Downtown, Junction promote partner travel guides at the Heritage Trails 12-13 Summer Mummers — Yucca Theatre, Midland Program booth inside the Food & Fiber Pavilion. For 12 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio more details, participation cost, and shipping 13 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, information, contact [email protected]. Brackettville 13 Little Market on Main— Pocket Park next to Oct Texas Travel Summit — George R. Brown Convention Secondhand Treasures, Del Rio 10-12 Center, Houston — Presented by Texas Travel Industry 13 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Association. Keynotes speakers, marketing strategies Southwest, Midland and trends, networking opportunities, and more. Open 14 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the to TTIA members and non-members. To learn more and Southwest, Midland register visit www.ttia.org. 18 Third Thursday Reading Program — George W.