Fort Davis, Texas History

(From Fort Davis Chamber site – www.fortdavis.com)

Volcanic eruptions formed the Davis Mountains during the Tertiary geologic period between 35 and 65 million years ago. The Davis Mountains are a part of the most southeastern range of the Rocky Mountains in the United States.

The earliest human habitation discovered so far is about 7000 BC. Numerous caves and rock shelters with rock art have been found, and anthropologists think many archeological sites may remain undiscovered in remote mountain areas. Indeed, the water and game of the high country made the mountains popular with Lipan and Mescalero Apache, also the Kiowa and the Comanche. The mountains get their name from the Fort Davis military post. Before that they were known as the Apache Mountains.

The first Spanish expedition through what is now Fort Davis came in 1583; a second group followed 100 years later. Few Americans had seen the Davis Mountains prior to end of the war with Mexico in 1846. After the war with Mexico, west Texas settlements increased and a wave of gold seekers, settlers, and traders came through the area. The need for a military post soon became evident as raiding along the San Antonio-El Paso Trail became a way of life for Apaches, Kiowas, and Comanches. From 1859 to 1861, Butterfield Overland Stage Line and Mail Company coaches transported mail to California, linking St. Louis, San Antonio, Fort Davis, and El Paso. The route used by the company quickly became known as part of the Overland Trail, with Fort Davis serving as a major stopping point.

Because of the inscriptions left on the giant cottonwoods by the Native Americans who traveled through here, the Fort Davis area was initially known to many immigrant parties as the Painted Comanche Camp or The Painted Camp on the Limpia. As the post grew, several settlements near and adjacent to the fort developed. The small nearby settlements along Limpia Creek boasted about 70 residents. (Limpia means "clear or clean" in Spanish--and the water in the creek is still probably some of the cleanest in Texas.) It became the town and took its name from the post, named after the then Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, (later on he was to become the president of the Confederacy). With the outbreak of the Civil War, the Union abandoned Fort Davis. It was briefly occupied by Confederate forces, but then for the next five years the military post of Fort Davis lay abandoned.

In 1867, because of continuing bandit, Apache, and Comanche raids along the Overland Trail, the Army reestablished the post. African American troops of the Ninth U.S. Cavalry, one of two all black cavalry regiments organized in 1866 (later to be known by their designation by the Indians as "Buffalo Soldiers"), immediately began construction of a new post just east of the original site.

The westward expansion of the railroads missed Fort Davis, but linked nearby Alpine and Marfa with larger cities. Thus, they became the commercial centers of the area. In 1891, the military post of Fort Davis was closed and the town of Fort Davis evolved into a ranching and tourism center. By the early 1900s, well-to-do Texans escaping the heat and humidity of the coast, Hill Country, and East Texas came by the hundreds, thirsty for the majestic desert vistas, pure mountain air, star-bright nights, and friendly inhabitants.

After closing, the fort's dignified adobe and stone buildings slowly deteriorated under private ownership. In 1961, thanks to the efforts of the Fort Davis Historical Society and area residents, Fort Davis was designated a National Historic Site, operated by the National Park Service. In 1963, the Fort Davis National Historic Site opened to the public year round, except on Christmas Day.

Today, ranching and tourism still reign, but Fort Davis is also known as the "Highest Town in Texas – Where the Stars Come Out to Play." Located here is the University of Texas, McDonald Observatory. The observatory hosts the 107" Harlan J. Smith telescope located atop 6800 feet Mt. Locke, and the Hobby-Ebberly Telescope (HET) containing the World's third largest mirror (433") made up of ninety-one 40-inch mirror segments on adjacent Mt. Fowlkes. Our unspoiled vistas have made us a film making location for "Lonesome Dove," "The Good Old Boys," "The Streets of Laredo," "Dead Man's Walk," and most recently. "Dancer, Texas, Pop: 81." We are the host to four of the world's largest greenhouses at 26 acres each, and -- perhaps most significantly -- as one of the last unspoiled places in the great State of Texas.

Getting Here...

West Texas, Davis Mountain's and Fort Davis is located within easy access to Interstate Highways 10 and 20. El Paso is about 220 miles west, and Midland is 175 miles northeast. The international border at Presidio/Ojinaga is 80 miles south of Fort Davis.

The nearest commercial airport is at Midland-Odessa. American Eagle, Continental, and Southwest are the scheduled carriers. El Paso International Airport is about 205 miles from Fort Davis, most major airlines offer service to and from El Paso. For private aircraft there is the well-equipped Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport (432.837.5929). It is located on Texas 118 about 25 miles south of Fort Davis. The Marfa City Airport (432.729.3102) is on Texas 17 about 18 miles south of Fort Davis.

Auto rentals are available at Alpine Auto Rental, 704 E. Hancock Avenue, Alpine Texas. 8am to 5pm 432.837.3463 FAX 432.837.5663 E-mail KellyKonnection@hotmail.com

Scheduled bus service is available in Alpine 432.837.5302. Amtrak service is available from and to Alpine 800.872.7245.

Some Information about the area, the people, the weather and suggested reading on the area.

(Also from Fort Davis Chamber site – www.fortdavis.com)

Some visitors say our vistas look like New Mexico or Chihuahua, Old Mexico. Others claim our striking rock formations and miles long vistas remind them of Australia. Fact is, Fort Davis is pure Texas, as genuine as the working cattle ranches on the outskirts of town -- as unpretentious as the adobe homes and ocotillo fences of its neighborhoods -- and as real a pioneer as the original El Paso-San Antonio section of the Butterfield Company’s Overland Stagecoach Line road (often called "The Overland Trail") that runs right through our town. Matter-of-fact... the only unpaved portion of the original trail from San Antonio to El Paso still in everyday use is one of our town streets traveled every day by our town folks. It's a special place to visit.

Fort Davis, Jeff Davis County, and the Davis Mountains will remind you of an earlier old west Texas -- a Texas before 90 minute commutes, mega malls, gangs, and graffiti marked walls – a Texas of spinning windmills, buzzards sunning on weathered fence posts, oaks clinging to rugged lava rock mountainsides, prong horned antelope grazing with great herds of fine Texas cattle, families riding together on horseback, and magenta sunsets that can stop you in your tracks.

Hummingbird feeders nearly outnumber the people in Fort Davis, and traffic's tied up only when a family of javelina (Collared Peccaries) hurries across the highway. It's a friendly place. You'll hear "hello" and "come see us." "Hola" and "hasta luego." Occupants of oncoming vehicles will surprise you with a friendly wave that includes all four fingers. Men tip their hats to the ladies, and children still say, "Yes Ma'am" to their moms. We have no theme parks, car pool lanes, stop lights, theaters, or dress-up dining. We do have a baseball diamond, playgrounds, rodeo arenas, a football field, and a new library. For amusement, we hike along Limpia Creek in the state park, take a horseback ride up a creek side mesa, rock climb, play tennis at the high school, visit the one of the art galleries, or photograph the herds of deer and pronghorn antelope.

We marvel at our pristine night skies, devoid of pollution, smog, or bright lights. "The stars at night, are really bright"... We can still see the Milky Way with the naked eye and satellites can be clearly tracked as they traverse the night sky. Folks still put corn out for the deer that come to town, suffer the javelina eating their pecans and cactus, watch for the wild mountain goats atop Sleeping Lion Mountain or just sit and enjoy the weather and our sunny days. We do a lot of that.

This area of Texas' lively history is maintained now as a National Historic Site. It’s one of the best preserved and restored 19th Century Army Posts in the country. During 1867/1885, Buffalo Soldiers (9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry and 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry) were garrisoned here while involved in struggles with Apaches and Comanches. The Neville Spring Cavalry Outpost in the Big Bend National Park was an outpost of Fort Davis, from 1885 to 1891. Our town took the name of the Fort, grew in support of it and now hosts the many visitors that tour it.

This part of the Southwest is where the domain of American pioneers, Ranchers, Cowboys, Mexicans, Buffalo Soldiers, the Mescalero Apache and the Comanche overlapped.

Another internationally known attraction is the McDonald Observatory, seventeen miles up a pretty canyon to the north of Fort Davis. Three nights a week you can join experts who will aim the telescopes at the season's celestial events. It's a big hit with families. Of course you don’t need a telescope to see the Stars come out to play, all you have to do is look up and get one of the best views of the stars in this country. In our town, the Constable still parks in front of the elementary school to ensure our children safely get across the highway and the Postmaster and bank tellers know almost everyone by their first name. The Sheriff lets us carry off a 4th of July "Bank Robbery" (by Cowboys on horseback) every year. The "Cowboys" are always apprehended and our "crime rate" returns to the lowest in the country.

You'll see folks riding horseback on our streets unperturbed by low traffic and you'll hear spurs jingle in our restaurants and stores. Every time we drive, walk, ride, or bike, we are struck by the great, peaceful expanses of Texas ranch land, prairie, canyons, and mountains all around our home. Two miles out of town, you feel like a time warp has sent you back to the days of yesteryear... wide open, unpopulated spaces, cattle, deer, antelope, and just like the old days "the skies are not cloudy all day!" As a bonus, in the summer, it's often cooler in the Davis Mountains than anywhere else in Texas. Our elevation of 5050 feet makes Fort Davis the highest town in the state. We have four seasons (all milder than the rest of Texas) and are almost devoid of severe weather of any kind. You won't see us on the Weather Channel, but during times when the rest of Texas is broiling, flooding, or experiencing other natural weather phenomenon, this little town and surrounding countryside is cool, dry and peaceful. Like Santa Fe and Colorado Springs, we're on the Front Range of the Rockies. The humidity's low here in the high country, and even midsummer nights can be refreshingly cool.

So, come visit and wind down a little, refresh yourself, and relax in Fort Davis and West Texas.

Weather

Fort Davis is the highest town in Texas, at an elevation of 5050 ft. Folks 'round here say "Enjoy Denver's altitude without the snow." It's part of the high desert region known as the Chihuahuan Desert. The mountain setting of Fort Davis is surrounded with a unique mixture of alpine and desert flora & fauna. With an unusually moderate climate with a summer average high in the mid 80ºs (f) and winter average low/high of 30º/50º (f). Our low average summer temperatures and low humidity make Fort Davis a refreshing summer oasis of cool breezes, clear skies, and pure mountain air, and is a most pleasant surprise for any visitor expecting the stifling heat of the rest of Texas and the Big Bend region.

Snow is unusual in winter, but an inch or so once in a while in January, is normal for the Fort Davis area. Summer monsoons arrive in July, and continue until September. We are not talking about a lot of rain, as the average annual rainfall is less than 17 inches. These bring moderate late afternoon showers, accompanied by thunderstorms, that cool down the day.

The People

Fort Davis, population 1050±, is the County Seat of Jeff Davis County, population 2207±, and hosts the County Courthouse, Judges, Sheriff and County Clerks’ offices. Valentine, population 187±, is the only other town in the county.

Fort Davis is not an incorporated town. We still have blacksmith and livery shops, western hat makers, hairdressers, wagon and wheel smiths, nurseries, cowboys and chuck wagon cooks, mixed in with a lawyer, real estate agents, title & abstract company, tax preparers, Notary Publics, CPA’s, writers, artists, photographers, and poets. Industry/farming/ranching in the area includes huge tomato and flower greenhouse operations, pecan and apple farming, a vineyard in an award winning soil and climatic region, and of course, good old Texas ranching. We have a post office, bank (with ATM), and water, electric, gas, and tv cable companies servicing the county. We are also fortunate to have our own local Internet Service Provider (ISP), right here in town.

Fort Davis has Volunteer Fire, Rescue (EMS) and ambulance service, resident doctor, visiting nurses and a weekly published newspaper "Jeff Davis County Mountain Dispatch." Big Bend Regional Center a brand-new full service hospital facility located just 25 miles away in Alpine, Texas.

Movie companies have used locations all around this area. Some of the films shot in this area and the Big Bend are: "Giant," "The Gambler," "Lonesome Dove," "The Good Old Boys," "Streets of Laredo," "Dead Man's Walk" and "Dancer, Texas Population 81",with the latter filmed nearly entirely in Fort Davis, using many locals as extras.

Texas' highest golf courses are located in Alpine, 24 mi., and Marfa, 24 miles. Law enforcement includes Town Constable, County Sheriff, and Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers. An elected County Judge, Justice of the Peace, and County Commissioners administer to the well being of the County. Our schools, Elementary, Pre-K through six, and Secondary, Grades 7 through 12, are uncrowded. The teacher to student ratio is approx. 1/22 at both schools.

Some Suggested Reading on The Area

Here are several books that have helpful or interesting information about Fort Davis and Texas' Big Bend area:

"From Big Bend to Carlsbad" by James Glendinning. Texas A&M University Press. A transplanted Scotsman, Glendinning provides a perceptive and thorough guide to southwest Texas and southeast New Mexico. This book is packed with useful information.

"West Texas and the Big Bend" by Eric O'Keefe. Texas Monthly Guidebooks, Gulf Publishing. Freelance writer O'Keefe, a West Texas native, provides a well-organized, thorough review of restaurants, accommodations and tourist attractions, including information about Mexican border towns. The book covers all of West Texas, from the Big Bend to Amarillo.

"Big Bend: A Homesteader's Story" by J.O. Langford. University of Texas Press. This highly readable account of pioneer life in the Big Bend was written by the man who developed the Hot Springs that are now a part of the national park.

"The Mysterious Lands" by Ann Haymond Zwinger. University of Arizona Press. Zwinger writes lovingly about the plants and animals in the deserts of North America, with several chapters focusing on the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas and southern New Mexico.