Texas Vacation - Day Five - Big Bend National Park - Part 2 - Dorgan Sublett Trail

 Perhaps the most interesting part of Big Bend, at least to me, is the ever-changing terrain and they are rapid changes sometimes.  We have both commented on it and are so surprised each occurance.

Leaving Santa Elena Canyon, we notice that the temp has come up over 40 degrees.  It's wonderful out, perfect for hikes.  Not a complaint in sight.

Our next stop is at the Dorgan Sublett Trail - 1.0 miles roundtrip.  At the very beginning of the trail stand the remnants of a stone farmhouse owned by James and Melissa Belle Sublett, settlers who first came Castolon (community in the park) in 1913.  Sublett is recognized for introducing mechanized farming into the Big Bend.  In 1914 the Subletts moved into the Alvino house in Castolon, cleared much of the land, and installed the area's first irrigation system supplied by a water wheel.  Sublett hired Mexican laborers to plant the new fields with sorghum, corn, alfalfa, and other livestock feed crops.  By 1918, with a growing farm business in place, Sublett purchased 2, 560 acres in this area and called it Grand Canyon Farms.  He built a large adobe house on top of the hill and a smaller house below, know today as La Casita.  While little remains of the Subletts' adobe house, their stone farmhouse and La Casita survive, and have received historic preservation treatments.

La Casita - 

Upward, once again.

This is the spot of the adobe house with an extraordinary view over the farmland on the Rio Grande floodplain below.  All that remains today is the view.  In the early years of Big Bend National Park, historic structures like the Sublett adobe were either destroyed or allowed to deteriorate because they were not thought of as past of the natural scenery.  Today, historic preservation treatments protect these traces of a vanishing heritage.

The Dorgan House - this decaying, but still impressive structure was once the home of Albert W. Dorgan, a business associate of James Sublett.  In the 1930s, Dorgan and his wife, Avis Ann, built this adobe home on the mesa with large windows at the front and a double fireplace that opened into the large central living area.  The Dorgans vacated their Big Bend Property in 1938.  In 1941 they leased the property to A.F. Robinson, who opened the "Mexitex" resort, hoping to benefit from the new national park.  The resort failed, and Dorgan sold his holdings for inclusion in Big Bend National Park.

Silly Mister - 

Remnants of the past on the mantle --- not sure whose past, but the past.  

Two can play at his game.

And we're off again.

Ocotillo - such a bizarre and painful plant.

The Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive took us down to Santa Elena Canyon and the return trip is required as it is the only "low clearance" road to use.  Back to the area that fascinated me earlier today.  THIS time I have some information.  This white is volcanic ash that has hardened and sometimes called "Tuff" and that is a great segue for the next post.  See ya there.