[Historic Marker Application: Fort Stockton Guard House] Page: 16 of 35
This text is part of the collection entitled: Recorded Texas Historic Landmark Files and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Texas Historical Commission.
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'IRST TRAIN TO ALPINE, APRIL 13, 1914
n House
;- 290-385
Marshall
ETo Eat"Corbett, Herman Koehler, James
Rooney, and H. H. Butz. The Corbett
business was sold to Koehler and the
bottom floor of the little community
building is now what was once the Koeh-
ler Store and Saloon. The old Young
store, with 1876 printed on its g 1 a s s
transom, is still standing.
In front of that store two cowboys
clasped their left hands together and
murdered each other over the question
of a pair of boots. In either the Koehler
or Young store, Sam Bass pulled the
badger and got even with the trick-
sters. The town merchants were robbed
by a part of Billy the Kid's gang. All
these incidents happened in the year
1877.
By 1880, the great wagon trains and
caravan commerce through Fort Stock-
ton were coming to an end. The Texas
and Pacific and the G. H. & S. A. rail-
roads were both locating their tracks
some 50 or 60 miles at the nearest point
to Fort Stockton. Millions of dollars
worth of silver and gold had been haul-
ed up from Chihuahua to San Antonio
and Indianola through Fort Stockton.
Over 200 wagon trains had yearly made
that round trip in addition to the great
commerce going to and from El Paso.
Fort Stockton was inhabited by 1.000
people, 90 percent of whom were Mexi-
can. The citizens advertised the exist-
ance of four general stores, one hotel,
a Catholic Church, Courthouse and jail,
office, boot and shoe shop and a tailor
shop. No saloons were mentioned, as
all general stores carried supplies of
drinks.While such railroad location and build-
ing was in progress, Victoria and his
Apaches slipped into Texas, outwitted
the soldiers and rangers, and moved
back into Mexico with a herd of cattle.
With small loss to the Indians, Victoria's
band had killed a number of soldiers,
traveled over 100 miles into Texas with
their squaws and children and then eva-
porated into Mexico. During this time,
the Indians had cut the teleeraph wires
between Fort Davis and Fort Stockton
and killed the stage attendants at
Barilla.
To name +he county seat of Pecos
County an election was held on August
13. 1881 to deci-e between St. Gall and
Fort Stockton. Sixty four votes were tal-
lied for the name of Fort Stockton while
St. Gall received only 30 votes.
With the G. H. & S. A. connecting
from both rail ends at Sotol and Eagle's
Nest, the underworld was traveling
along in covered w ygons and canvas
tents to take part of the hard earned
money from the gnarled hands of those
workers by mean of liquor, lewd wom-
en and sharpers of the gambling games.
Buzzing in with the insects looking for
that easy "Long Green" and silver at
Sotol City, Vinegaroon and Eagle's Ne't
was Roy Bean. There he was unofficially
to act with the rangers backing, as Jus-
tice of the Peace of Pecos County. Only
the following month was he appointed
a Justice by the Commissioners qt Fort
Stockton, Texas on August 2, 1882. He
did not post bond and qualify until De-
cember 6, 1882. His humorous and ques-
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Texas Historical Commission. [Historic Marker Application: Fort Stockton Guard House], text, 1979; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth410973/m1/16/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Texas Historical Commission.