|
|
PECOS,
TEXAS
"Home of the
World's First Rodeo."
Reeves County Seat, West Texas
I-20 and Hwys 17 & 285
7 miles W of Barstow
20 miles S of Mentone
76 miles W of Odessa
40 miles W of Monahans
54 miles NW of Ft.
Stockton
Population: 9,501 (2000) 12,069 (1990)
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
Pecos
Hotels
|
|
|
Entering
Pecos, Texas
"Home of the World's First Rodeo"
Photo courtesy James Feagin, 2002 |
|
|
Pecos
water tower
Photo courtesy James Feagin, 2002 |
| The
entire downtown section of Pecos (Pay Cuss) is intact, with only one
building gone due to a fire. At the north end of the main street is
the railroad station. It's easy to spot - just look for the Union
Pacific caboose in the middle of the street. |
|
|
Next
to the caboose is the headstone for Clay Allison, a notorious
gunfighter who may have "died with his boots on" but actually his
head was crushed by his own wagon.
You aren't a true West Texas town
without a gunfighter's tombstone downtown. TE photo, August 2000 |
|
|
(Above) Texas & Pacific Railroad Depot in Pecos, Texas.
Postcard from the early 1900's, courtesy Mark Armstrong
(Left) The Old Texas & Pacific Station today. TE Photo, 2000 |
History
in a Pecan Shell:
As hard as it is to believe - the town of Pecos was once East of the
Pecos River. The popular slogan "West of the Pecos" wouldn't
work very well if the town of Pecos was east of the river.
A Mr. George Knight who owned the land gave a small portion for a
depot and a little more for good measure to the Texas and Pacific
Railroad who laid tracks in 1881.
The evolution of the name was Pecos Station, then Pecos
City and finally the simple utilitarian Pecos. After going through
so many changes, they weren't about to change it when their portion
of Pecos County became Reeves County in 1883.
|
|
|
The Pecos Post Office Building
TE Photo, 2000 |
They
got a post office in 1884 and a bad reputation for violence shortly
thereafter. We'd like to point out that the reputation had nothing
to do with postal employees.
The name Pecos even evolved into a verb like "Shanghai". To "Pecos"
a man was to ambush him, steal his horse and money and roll his body
off a riverbank (which didn't have to actually be the Pecos River
to qualify). Even though things have quieted down today, having Clay
Allison's grave in back of the Orient Hotel (itself riddled with bullet
holes) testifies to the town's legendary wild-west past.
During WWII Pecos Army Air Field was opened and the population
of the town reached 6,500. The city nearly doubled its population
in the 50s from 8,000 to 14,000.
Reeves County
Courthouse >
The
West of the Pecos Museum >
Pecos
Hotels >
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save |
|
|
|
"The
roadrunner behind the courthouse"
Photo courtesy Sandy Whitson, December 13, 2005 |
|
Today
samples of Pecos cantaloupes are provided to summer visitors of the
museum. The fame of the melons was spread because they were served
in the dining cars all along the railroad's east-west route.
Pecos is one of the towns that must be included on your West Texas
itinerary. |
|
|
|
Pecos
cantaloupes are so famous, they'll loan money on them.
TE Photo, 2000 |
The
effect of fire hydrants on West of the Pecos marigolds
TE Photo, 2000 |
Pecos Tourist
Information
The Chamber
of Commerce:
111 S. Cedar St. 915-445-2406
Website: www.pecostx.com
Pecos
Hotels >
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save |
|
|
Pecos Welcome
Sign
Entering Pecos from Barstow
Photo courtesy James Feagin, 2002 |
Pecos
Texas Forum
Anyone
wishing to share history or photos of Pecos, Texas, please contact
us.
© John Troesser
Our special thanks to the staff of the West of the Pecos Museum
for providing us with information on their town, museum and the
Orient Hotel.
Book
Your Hotel Here & Save
Pecos
Hotels
More
Hotels
|
|
|
