Mister and Lady: Texas Vacation - Day Six - Alpine, TX to Winters, TX

The car is pointed north once again and as we come over the hill towards Alpine, Mister stops and we just enjoy the view. The Alpine/Marfa/Fort Davis area is very doable. I like it.

Plaine coffee is the destination as it was spotted the other day while in town. Looks funky and fun and for a moment you think it's a laundromat due to signage being large for just that and VERY small for Plaine. Out front there is a dog driving a really cool Mustang.

Once we have ordered, two gentlemen sitting at a table invite us to join them and the stories begin. Oh my, what a treasure this is. The one in the teal jacket is Tom Curry, a well-known artist here and his work (Boquillas) is on the cover of the Cenizo Journal, which we happen to have in the car. It was given to us on our first stop in Terlingua. He grew up in Coleman, TX, near Abilene and graduated from NTU in 1969 before being drafted into the army and stationed in Germany. In 1975 he returned to Texas and moved to Austin to begin his career as an illustrator. In 1993, he moved to Alpine to concentrate on paintings, sculptures and murals. Also a published writer, his works include historical to children's book offerings. Fascinating man. His studio is here in Alpine - the white building next to the Alpine Studio, which I wrote about in an earlier post. We didn't even know that we had a picture of Tom's studio at the same time until AFTER we met him.

The second gentleman is just a wealth of information and so, so many stories to tell. HE has been around and in the right place (or wrong sometimes) the way it happens to us. He is Roy Sassel and is connected to the Kokernot Ranch, between Apline and Fort Davis. We really enjoyed our time with these two and it made the morning special. We'll look you both up next visit.

It stinks, but we do have to continue on. We have a bit of a drive ahead and stops along the way. Arriving in Marathon for the second time, we locate Eve's Garden Organic Bed and Breakfast - just to peek. There are seven separate, colorful, guest rooms that surround a lush garden courtyard (which we can't see from the car). The reason for the stop? We had read that it was built with papercrete. Yep, I had to look it up, too. It is a building material comprised of recycled paper, sand, clay, and Portland cement. It's also painted REALLY bright.

Across the way is this old church - St. Mary's Catholic Mission of Marathon. It's not open, but looks nice from the outside.

And then there is this: (ya just never know when the desire to draw will happen)

We are now on new road once again -- heading east to Sanderson. This community supposedly has a railroad depot from 1881 still standing. It also has a crazy history. Judge Roy Bean attempted to start a saloon here and the established saloon owner, sensing competition, poisoned Bean's whiskey barrels with kerosene, forever branding Sanderson as "the town too mean for Bean." There are stories from it's wild and wooly frontier beginnings that include a bank once robbed by the Wild Bunch to what's known as the "Last Great Train Robbery" in the West, with two unlucky bandits buried here. With all of that, we were shocked to discover that there just isn't much here playing up ANY of those items. The depot is technically standing, not on the railroad, and not able to be seen up close.

The Terrell County Courthouse, built in 1906 sits beautifully amongst the trees.

I spot a church that I would like to check out. St. James Catholic Church, built in 1941 stands across from the courthouse. Unfortunately, it is not open to see the wonders inside. This is so unusual for Catholic churches and is our second one today. We're trying, Sanderson, we really are. You're not making it very easy.

Maybe it is closed because the high school is right across the street??

We finally give in and stop at the Visitor Center. The couple who are working are very pleasant, but fairly new to Sanderson, so not a wealth of local information. They didn't know about the bank that was robbed so we can't find it --- not even a historical sign in this WHOLE town (at least that we could spot). They did tell us to stop in at the Kerr Mercantile, which was established in 1898, but we pass as we have spent quite a bit of time here already.

I DO manage to locate a wee bit of info on the walls of the Visitor Center and in a case below. But this is ALL I get. I know this is hard to read, so here ya go, "On March 14, 1912, Ben Kilpatrick, former "Hole-in-the Wall" Gang member and Ole Hobeck, career criminal, were killed in their attempt to hold up the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad No. 9 passenger train just eight miles east of Sanderson. Express Agent David Trousdale battered the inattentive Hobeck with an ice mallet, then, using Hobeck's gun, put a bullet through Kilpatricks's eye as he poked his head through the baggage car door. Under threat of imminent death at the train robber's hands, the killings were justified and Trousdale received a large reward from the Well Fargo Agency, the U.S. Government and a purse gathered by grateful passengers. A quiet man, Trousdale refused to capitalize further on his brave act when entrepreneurs wanted him to go on the Chautauqua lecture circuit, star in a movie about the affair and write a book. This iconic photo was take at the Sanderson Depot. The area saw many train robberies and attempts during the 1882-1912 period.

I also find a picture of the depot in somewhat better shape, along the tracks

At this point, we are leaving Sanderson and turning north at Dryden, onto the straightest road to nowhere. It goes on and on and on, with nothing along the way.

Except this: (they had a rabbit)

Oh and this ---- more javelina -

From Sheffield to Ozona, we take the "scenic route" in which we find Fort Lancaster. This wasn't even on our radar, but we'll give it a try. Now, the further north we have gone, the colder it is getting and there is a wind blowing that makes running around a fort sound a bit unappealing to me, but I'm not going to nix the idea. When we check inside, it turns out that they have golf carts to make the loop. Perfect - a hooded jacket and a quilt on my lap, along with gloves and I'm ready to go.

There is not a LOT of the fort left, sad to say. Fort Lancaster was a link in the chain of western forts that provided protection for travelers. Established in 1855, the post became a permanent infantry fort a year later. It had easy access to fresh water from Live Oak Creek and was fairly close to the Lower San Antonio-El Paso Road.

Soldier constructed the permanent buildings with local materials - limestone, adobe bricks, and stucco. Soldiers created the quicklime necessary for the mortar, stucco, and paint by burning chunks of limestone in a lime kiln. I watched a show where they did this awhile back and it was HARD work.

At one time there were 25 permanent buildings - including officers' quarters, barracks, a blacksmith shop, hospital, sutler's store, and bakery.

So, so thankful for the golf cart.

Old coach wheels (rims) -

You have to use your imagination a lot here.

Proof -

Inside the Visitor Center, while we warm up, there is a display that catches my eye as it is unique to Fort Lancaster. As the Army learned how to operate in the American Southwest, it tested new transportation methods. One of these caught the attention of every man and woman at Fort Lancaster as it passed through the post in 1857, Most Americans imagine the Southwest to be a sandy desert, which brought images of sand dunes and camels to mind. Secretary of War Jefferson Davis believed camels could be better suited to this terrain than horses or mules, and in 1854, he requested funding from Congress to experiment with using them as pack animals. The following year Congress funded the project. In 1857, Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, who had previously served in the U.S. Navy, was selected to lead an expedition from Texas to California using the camels to carry his men and supplies. They arrived on at Fort Lancaster July 9, 1857 with 25 camels. Must play.

Continuing on our "scenic route," we discover why it is so aptly named. At the top is an observation point of the valley and fort below.

At this point we are actually traveling on the interstate for a short time. First time since we left Monahan's. However, the first exit off is Ozona, and it's taken, more as a means to another road than for Ozona itself, but a few stops happen. The Courthouse. We are in Crockett County and this courthouse was completed in 1903 for a cost of $30,000. Why Crockett County? Although Davy Crockett was born in Tennessee, he died, a hero, at the Battle of the Alamo in San Antonio and the county is named for him.

A memorial to Davy Crockett stands on the Courthouse Square. It is inscribed with his motto, "Be sure you are right, then go ahead."

At this point, we decide to call the grandsons in San Angelo and see if they want to meet up for a free dinner. Poor college boys would be silly to turn us down. We don't have time to visit San Angelo properly this visit, but it will happen on another "tour of Texas" down the road. What a cute downtown.

Boys will be boys and my one grandson feels it is his duty to ruin every family picture there is. He's almost 21 and I keep hoping he will outgrow this. We have a great time together, yummy food and fun conversation. A couple hours go by and then it's time to say good-byes and head onto our final destination for today.