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 TPTR Partners Event, Cont’d 2 Travel Itinerary: 2 Outdoor Museums Real Places 2016 Conference 3 Goodnight Loving 150th Anniversary 3 Preservation Spotlight: 3 Monahans Sandhills State Park Jun Calendar of Events 4 Contact Information 4

TPTR Board of Directors Bill Hodges (Chair) Rancher, Eldorado

Ellen Crossland (Vice Chair) Mendoza Trail Museum, McCamey

Peggy Kelton (Secretary) Upton Cnty Historical Commission, McCamey

Betty Damron (Treasurer) Crane County Historical Commission, Crane

Russell Nowell Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville

Sherry Phillips Former Mayor of McCamey

Bill Simon Smart Choice Auto Group, Junction

Jefferson Spilman Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Sheffield

Ruben Vargas Trendy T’s, Midland

Pecos Trail Partners Event — Fort Clark

The Texas Pecos Trail Region held our bi-monthly Partners Event on May 19 at Fort Clark Springs TX. We had guests from Austin, Brackettville, Crane, Eldorado, Fort Clark Springs, Junction, and Sonora. Attendees toured the historic district of Fort Clark that includes many buildings and sites throughout the 1850s-1940s period of the fort. Russell Nowell of the Fort Clark Historical Society (and also a TPTR board member) led the group inside the Old Guardhouse Museum to view artifacts and exhibits pertaining to the fort’s history, and then to Dickman Hall, once the Officer’s Club, where a bar is set to open later this summer 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. After lunching at Las Moras Grill near the 18-hole golf course, we discussed TPTR business matters such as 2015 website statistics and brochure mail-outs, recent and upcoming travel shows and promotions, a heritage tourism grant for Crane’s Goodnight Loving 150th Anniversary, and Fort Lancaster’s Western Frontier Days and visitor center re-opening. Bill Haenn of the Friends of the Fort Clark Historic District presented a slide show of the fort’s National Historic Landmark application project. We appreciate Fort Clarks Springs director Richard Lawrence, Mr. Nowell and Mr. Haenn, Cindy at Las Moras Grill, and all who assisted with making this an enjoyable and educational experience. Please join us at our next bi-monthly Partners Event!

Texas Pecos Trail Region Newsletter June 2016

More Pics on Pg 2

Pecos Trail Newsletter Jun 2016 Page 2

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

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

Iraan Museum and Alley Oop Fantasyland Iraan

This small-town visitor site offers exhibits relating to the famous Yates oil family, archeological specimens, a wind turbine, and large Alley Oop cartoon cut-outs.

West of the Pecos Museum Pecos

Located on Hwy 285 in downtown Pecos, this historic treasure includes a hotel and saloon filled with artifacts, a Jersey Lily replica, Clay Allison’s gravesite, and a shaded park for picnicking and relaxation.

Million Barrel Museum Monahans

Visitors can explore the original 1928 outdoor oil-storage tank, old jail, railroad car and museum, the historic Holman House, and the Rattlesnake Bomber Base Museum.

Whitehead Memorial Museum Del Rio

With about 20 outdoor exhibits, this site just south of downtown brings to life a Jersey Lily replica, a doctor’s office, blacksmith shop, an 1870s irrigation canal, and more.

TPTR Partners Event, Fort Clark — Cont’d

Museum of the Southwest Midland

This cultural site incorporates the main art gallery inside the 1937 Turner Mansion, a children’s museum, planetarium with state-of-the-art dome shows, and outdoor sculpture.

Permian Basin Petroleum Museum Midland

Dedicated to the Permian Basin oil industry, this museum site is an immersive experience that includes many galleries, drilling rigs, and vintage race cars.

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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.

Real Places 2016 Conference

Don’t forget to register for the Real Places 2016 heritage travel conference, which will be held June 13-15 in Austin TX at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. Presented by the Texas Historical Commission in partnership with the Friends of the THC, Real Places 2016 brings together individuals and organizations passionate about identifying, saving, and leveraging heritage travel destinations and the stories they tell about a community. Attendees will learn best practices for promoting their community’s historic places and connect with colleagues from County Historical Commissions, Main Street programs, local governments, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus, preservation organizations, historic sites, and travel industry experts. Topics featured will include culinary tourism, historic highways, creating tours and visitor experiences, and promoting anniversaries. Real Places 2016 will also provide technical training for CHCs, county staff, and county officials. The Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program will present its Texas Courthouse Stewardship Workshop for county officials and facilities managers. The CHC Outreach Program will provide orientation and leadership training to CHC appointees. For more information, including a schedule, registration, and speaker bios, visit realplaces.us. For questions about registration, contact (512) 258-7474 or info@realplaces.us.

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.

Goodnight Loving 150th Anniversary

Crane TX will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Goodnight-Loving Trail cattle drive in 1866 that passed through Horsehead Crossing and then northwest up the Pecos River into New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Many exciting and fun events have been planned during the three-day event from July 2-4, including driving tours to Horsehead Crossing, art gallery and show, kid’s rodeo, cowboy poetry contest, Lonesome Dove

movie night, chuck wagon picnic, workshop with renowned local artist Mike Capron, magician and illusionist Mike Baffle, antique car show, parade, Elvis tribute performance, and live music by Jake Hooker. There will also be vendors, food, games, and historical reenactments. Charles Goodnight was a former Texas Ranger and Indian scout. Oliver Loving was a pioneer cowboy and rancher. The two men joined together to supply the need for cattle and beef at Ft. Sumner for the outpost and Indians living on reservations. The cattle drive in June of 1866 comprised about 2,000 heads of cattle and 18 cowhands. For a detailed schedule or to purchase tickets visit https://goodnightlovingcelebration.wordpress.com/.

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Regional Upcoming Events

Jun Event – Location 1-31 Vintage Hat Happenings Exhibit — Crockett County Library, Ozona 2 Summer Off the Patio — Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, Ft. Stockton 3 First Friday Art Walk — Downtown Del Rio 3 Galleria Art Walk — Victorian House, Eagle Pass 3 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa 4 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville 4 Cowboys and Cajuns — Kimble County Courthouse Square, Junction 4 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 5 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 6 “Ragtime” the Musical — Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, Midland/Odessa 9 Crockett County 4-H Rodeo — Fair Park Arena, Ozona 10-11 Mex-Tex Family Fiesta — Cimarex Pavilion, Midland 10 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio 10 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa 11 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville 11 Car Show and Cookout — Polo Park Estates, Midland 11 Little Market on Main — Pocket Park next to Secondhand Treasures, Del Rio 11 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 12 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 16 Summer Off the Patio — Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, Ft. Stockton 16 Third Thursday Reading Program — George W. Bush Childhood Home, Midland 17-20 Juneteenth Celebration — Woodson Park, Odessa 17 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio 17 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa 17 Golden Girl of the Old West Revue and Miss Cantaloupe Pageant — High School Auditorium, Pecos 18 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville 18 Lee Young Texas Ranger Book Signing — Whitehead 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 info@texaspecostrail.com Website http://texaspecostrail.com

Executive Director and newsletter publisher: Scott Jordan

Statewide Events, Workshops, Etc. Jun 9-10 Texas Rural Challenge — Waco Convention Center — This year’s conference theme is Small Town Big Ideas. Learn best practices, engage in networking opportunities, and attend workshops and presentations that focus on business and economic development. Click here to learn more and register. Jun Real Places 2016 Heritage Travel Conference — AT&T 13-15 Executive Education and Conference Center, Austin — Presented by the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, this new conference represents a lucrative and growing sector of the tourism industry. Three days of workshops, guest speakers, panel discussions, and networking. Open to all individuals involved in heritage tourism. To learn more and register visit realplaces.us. Jun 27 - TTIA Travel & Tourism College — Hyatt Regency Lost Jul 1 Pines Resort, Bastrop — Travel and tourism professionals convene for one week each summer for an intensive curriculum in marketing, management, and leadership. Designed as a 3-year certification course. To learn more and register visit www.ttia.org.

Jun Event – Location 18 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 19 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 22-25 West of the Pecos Rodeo — Buck Jackson Arena and Sheriff’s Posse Barn, Pecos 24-25 Outlaw Pro Rodeo & Sutton County Days — Sutton County Fairgrounds and Arena, Sonora 24 Noches Musicales — Brown Plaza, Del Rio 24 Hot Summer Nights — Noel Heritage Plaza, Odessa 25 Midland Downtown Farmers Market — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 26 Summer Sunday Lawn Concerts — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 30 Summer Off the Patio — Annie Riggs Memorial Museum, Ft. Stockton