Comanche Springs and the San Antonio-to-El Paso mail route, the history of the fort, early schools, and routes used for trade and cattle drives offer different historical perspectives on Pecos County. There are also museums and a striking roadrunner sculpture. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether you are most interested in military history, everyday and community history, or historic routes; each stop offers a different perspective.

Fort Stockton and Comanche Springs

Historic Fort Stockton was in operation from 1867 to 1886. It was strategically established at the vital waters of Comanche Springs to protect the San Antonio-to-El Paso mail route. The garrison included the 9th Cavalry, known as the “Buffalo Soldiers.” The history of the site is thus linked to a water source and a long-distance connection. Historic Fort Stockton is open to visitors. Barracks and kitchens rebuilt according to original plans house a fort museum and visitor center. The Guard House, built in 1867 after the fort was re-established, included a solitary confinement cell.

The history of the water extends beyond the fort’s years of operation: Comanche Springs finally stopped flowing sometime in the early 1960s, after groundwater wells had pumped them dry. Rooney Park is located on the site of the old and historic Comanche Springs. Birds can be watched in the park year-round, including burrowing owls and greater roadrunners. The former importance of the springs and their eventual disappearance are thus part of a longer historical context.

Museums and Community History

The Annie Riggs Memorial Museum is housed in an adobe building constructed in 1899 as the Koehler Hotel. Across thirteen rooms and a hidden courtyard, the museum presents the heritage and development of Fort Stockton and the surrounding areas. Its exhibits cover archaeology, geology, religion, ranching, Hispanic heritage, pioneers, and early businesses. Unlike the fort’s narrowly focused military history, this range of topics encompasses geology as well as cultural and economic history.

Hovey School adds the history of education and community to this perspective. It was built in 1916 after the first school building burned down and served as a one-room school for seven grades, attended by Anglo and Hispanic students. After it closed in 1938, it was used as a community center. The timeline connects the new building to a specific history of use that extended beyond its role as a school.

The Iraan Museum also focuses on the development of a town: it displays artifacts and historic photographs documenting the origins and development of Iraan. While the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum brings together several subject areas, the Iraan Museum’s exhibits focus on the history of this place.

Historic Routes and Distinctive Motifs

Horsehead Crossing was a prominent landmark on the Comanche War Trail, the U.S. Army Upper Road of 1849, the Butterfield Trail, and the Goodnight-Loving Trail. An event from 1866 places the route in a specific time: Goodnight and Loving reached Horsehead Crossing around July 3 or 4 with nearly 2,000 cattle, after the herd had traveled almost 80 miles without water. Together, the route names and the recorded cattle-drive leg illustrate different scales of travel history.

Paisano Pete offers a different perspective on regional motifs: the roadrunner sculpture is 11 feet tall and 22 feet long and was erected in 1980. In 2011, Texas Highways magazine called it a “True Texas Icon.” Paisano Pete is presented as a photo stop; visitors can photograph the sculpture and walk around it. Fantasyland Park features giant replicas of characters from the 1930s comic strip “Alley Oop.” The range thus extends from historic routes and museums to sculptures and comic characters.

As a specific landmark on Interstate 10, the Pecos County West Safety Rest Area is on the eastbound side at mile marker 233.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Fort Stockton, Terry County, Crockett, Sabine County, Fannin County, Stonewall County, Lynn County, Fisher County.

Go to the main travel overview: Texas.