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Alpine, Texas

Everything Alpine is known for

8 songs mention this city

RoadyGoat plays music like this when you drive through Alpine. It's free on iPhone, and full songs play through Apple Music.

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Music in Alpine

Songs About Alpine

Blue Eyes and Red Wine
Briscoe
54%
"Somewhere south of Alpine"
On This Train
Sue Jeffers
50%
desert rose
chuck wimer
45%
terlingua
jackson emmer
25%
coming
jaxen mannering
20%
desert rain
elijah ocean
19%
No Man's Land
Miranda Lambert
10%
"She might be ninety miles from Pecos"
keechie & bowie
theo lawrence
10%

Artists From Alpine

No artists from Alpine in the database yet.

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Rivers & Roads in Song near Alpine

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Alpine.

US Route 90 9 songs Interstate 10 36 songs

Musical Heritage

Alpine RoadyGoat

Out in far West Texas, everybody's heard of Marfa — but the town that keeps the whole region running is Alpine. About six thousand people, home to Sul Ross State University, sitting right between Marfa, Terlingua, and Fort Davis. It's where the smaller communities come for groceries and a pharmacy, and where plenty of folks fill up on the way to Big Bend National Park. More than thirty murals splashed across town. The old Murphy Street Mercado holds shops like Desert Rose Provisions. And there's music: a band called The Swifts, live sets at the Old Crystal Bar and the Old Gringo Bar and Grill. Chris Ruggia plays in that band and runs the city's tourism besides. Alpine doesn't shout. It just keeps the lights on for everybody else.

RoadyGoat → · 7.0 mi away

The Hotel Ritchey RoadyGoat

1886

The Hotel Ritchey went up in Alpine in 1886 — an adobe railroad hotel where cowhands stopped after driving herds to the Southern Pacific line. A saloon, six rooms down, nine up. A wood-frame wraparound got added in 1908. When Interstate 10 replaced the rail line, the place slid into a boardinghouse, then into ruin. It's been rescued more than once — most recently in 2022, by a local historian and a philanthropist who brought in a Marfa firm to straighten the leaning adobe walls. But here's the part that matters: the whole revival started at a Monday night jam session at a partner's house. Music's the heartbeat now. There's a house band called Marijuana Sweet Tooth, a cocktail named John Prine's Tears, and a drink menu that signs off with two words — "Support Live Music."

RoadyGoat → · 7.0 mi away

History of Alpine

The Jefferson Davis Highway Plan RoadyGoat

1925

Several Texas highways carry an old honorary name, the Jefferson Davis Highway. It grew out of a plan conceived in nineteen thirteen and promoted by the United Daughters of the Confederacy: a coast to coast road named for the former president of the Confederate States. In April nineteen twenty five, the Texas State Highway Commission designated the highway from Orange to El Paso as a link in that transcontinental route. That July, Miss Decca Lamar West of Waco, an influential member of the group, wrote to the head of the federal Bureau of Public Roads. Abraham Lincoln already had a highway, from New York City to San Francisco. Her letter argued that two transcontinental highways should be named for the two great leaders of the critical period of American history. The group set markers along the route. Harris County lists one in Houston, near where Old Katy Road and Hempstead Highway meet, reading Jefferson Davis Highway Number Six. In nineteen twenty seven, a boulder with a plaque went up in Brownsville. By twenty twenty, markers had been removed in Elgin, San Antonio and San Marcos, and Brownsville had removed its boulder after a contentious debate. Others still stood along U S Ninety and Two Ninety, Interstate Thirty Five, and Highways Fifty Nine and Seventy Seven.

RoadyGoat →

Harvesting the Darkness RoadyGoat

One of the most important scientific resources near Alpine isn't in the ground—it's above your head. The deep, dark night sky. About 40 miles northwest of here, on Mount Locke, sits the world-renowned McDonald Observatory. Why was it built here in the 1930s? Because the high altitude, dry desert air, and, most importantly, the lack of light pollution create some of the darkest, clearest skies in the continental United States. This allows the observatory's powerful telescopes, including the massive Hobby-Eberly Telescope, to peer deep into the universe. The darkness is so critical that surrounding counties, including Brewster, have adopted dark-sky ordinances to protect it, requiring shielded lighting to prevent stray light from ruining the view. So when night falls in Alpine, look up. You're not just seeing stars; you're looking at a priceless natural resource that fuels cutting-edge astronomical research.

RoadyGoat → · 7.0 mi away

Alpine, TX RoadyGoat

Alpine's got this quiet feel, but it's a place where legends have taken root. You breathe differently up here, at almost 4,500 feet – the air's thin and clear, and the mountains just stretch on forever. It's no surprise a town like this breeds a certain kind of independent spirit.

7.0 mi away

Aten, Edwin Dunlap

1892

Edwin Dunlap Aten, Texas Ranger, the youngest son of Austin C. and Kate (Dunlap) Aten, was born on September 5, 1870, in Abingdon, Illinois. Despite his upbringing, Aten soon developed a rowdy streak and became dissatisfied with farm life. His concerned parents in 1890 sent him to the Panhandle , where he could be under the watchful eye of his former ranger brother Ira Aten , foreman of the Escarbada Division of the XIT Ranch . Although he worked diligently as a cowhand for the XIT Ranch, Ed Aten came to love poker and was involved in various incidents in saloons, climaxed by his shooting of a man in a quarrel over a card game. Ira immediately wrote his former commander, Frank Jones, with the intention of having Ed enlist in Company D of the Frontier Battalion as soon as a vacancy occurred. Although not enthusiastic at first about the prospect, Edwin joined the Texas Rangers on September 16, 1892, and began service with his brother's old company, then stationed at Alpine. He soon became a dedicated member of the ranger company. In June 1893 he was part of the four-man posse that accompanied Captain Jones in pursuit of outlaws near San Elizario. In the resultant gunfight at Pirates' Island on June 30 Jones was killed. Afterward Aten continued his service under Capt. John R. Hughes , who succeeded Jones as commander of Company D. Aten married Elena Benavídez, who was from a prominent Ysleta family. The marriage ended in divorce after their daughter died. During his tenure as a ranger, Aten saw duty at several frontier towns, including Marathon, Pecos, and Alpine. He helped settle the railroad strike at Temple in 1894 and for two years did guard service on the Southern Pacific line between El Paso and Del Rio because of the numerous train robberies reported. By the time he submitted his resignation on July 6, 1898, due to an illness, he had risen to the rank of sergeant. Thereafter he returned to the rangers periodically to do undercover work in Texas and Mexico. Following his ranger service, Aten briefly ran a saloon and gambling hall in El Paso. He then moved to Shafter, where he dealt faro and tended the bar in Ike Herrin's saloon, which he later purchased. In 1906, however, he returned to El Paso and became a special officer for the Southern Pacific Railroad. On February 20, 1915, he married Gertrude Bacus Aiello, a widow from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Both Ed and Ira, along with John Hughes and Ed Bryant, were present for the unveiling of a monument to Frank Jones on May 12, 1938. Ed Aten retained his position with the railroad until his retirement in 1947. Like his brother Ira, he had a legendary reputation as a lawman. He died on January 31, 1953, and was buried in Rest Lawn Cemetery, El Paso.

Tsha Handbook →

Millican, Leander Randon

1879

Leander Randon Millican, Baptist missionary, was born at Millican, Brazos County, Texas, on August 27, 1853, to Elliott McNeil and Marcella Boyce Triplett Millican. He was the grandson of Robert Hemphill Millican , one of the Old Three Hundred . In 1874, while he was deputy sheriff of Lampasas County, Millican was converted in a Methodist camp meeting. He joined the Baptist Church at Lampasas later that year. He attended Baylor University at Independence during the 1874–75 term and was licensed to preach on February 20, 1875, whereupon he began to minister in the vicinity. He married Georgia Katherine Saunders of Round Mountain on February 14, 1878. On September 1, 1879, Millican was commissioned as missionary for the San Saba Association; with the exception of three months, he was missionary for the Texas and Southern Baptists, particularly the El Paso Association, for the rest of his life. His work was with small, struggling churches on a half-time, quarter-time, or monthly basis in an area from San Angelo west to El Paso and south to Presidio. He helped organize many churches, including the First Baptist churches in Fort Davis, Presidio, Valentine, and San Angelo. During his ministering travels on horseback he dreamed of a camp meeting to bring ranchers, cowboys, and churches together for preaching and classes. His dream was realized on July 28, 1915, when he and George W. Truett met with ranchers to begin an annual cowboy camp meeting that became known as Paisano Baptist Encampment. This meeting still occurs every July between Alpine and Marfa in the Davis Mountains . Millican worked twelve to eighteen hours a day promoting Baptist causes. He was trusted by the cowmen of the west and was sent by them many times to Austin to speak for legislation in their behalf. In 1897 he became one of four statewide missionaries for the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, and he was assigned to the Committee on Credentials at the Texas Baptist Convention in San Antonio that same year. The committee refused to seat Samuel A. Hayden , who later retaliated with a lawsuit of seven years' duration against Millican and twenty-nine other Baptist leaders. As a member of the Ministers' Union of El Paso, Millican initiated the action that made Judge Roy Bean , rather than the city of El Paso, host to the famous Maher-Fitzsimmons fight in 1896. Millican regarded himself as just another cowboy in spite of the fact that he was one of the most picturesque figures in Baptist work. He preached at cow camps, in pulpits, and occasionally in saloons. He also built several churches. He continually urged others to come west and speak for the Baptist cause. Called "missionary to the mountains," "circuit rider of the plains," "trail-blazing minister," "sky pilot of the plains," and "Brother Lallie," Millican was a loyal Baptist who thought that a strong denomination could accomplish much for the cause of Christ. He wrote two brief works, Sermon and Very Short Life Sketch (1929) and Brief Summary of My Pastoral and Missionary Work (1931). He died on April 18, 1938, in El Paso, preceded in death by his three children. He was buried south of the tabernacle at Paisano Baptist Encampment.

Tsha Handbook →

Young, Marvin R.

1968

Marvin R. Young, Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Alpine, Texas, on May 11, 1947, the son of Roy Clinton and Marilyn (Hoskins) Young. After graduating from Permian Basin High School in 1965 he attended Odessa Junior College and the College of Marin in Kentfield, California. He enlisted in the United States Army at Odessa in September 1966 and was sent to Vietnam the following year. In Vietnam Staff Sergeant Young was wounded twice, in December 1967 and in February the following year. On August 21, 1968, he was leading a squad of Company C, First Battalion (mechanized), Fifth Infantry, Twenty-fifth Infantry Division, on reconnaissance patrol near Ben Cui. The squad was attacked by a large force of the North Vietnamese Army and were pinned down; the platoon leader was killed. Young unhesitatingly assumed command, moving from position to position, encouraging his men, and directing fire on the hostile insurgents. He constantly exposed himself to enemy fire. After receiving orders to withdraw, he remained behind in order to provide covering fire. He was proceeding to assist part of the squad that was unable to withdraw, when he received a critical head injury. Nonetheless, he continued his mission and was wounded twice more, including a badly shattered leg. He refused assistance, remaining behind to cover the withdrawal. Young was killed by the advancing Vietnamese. He is buried in Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Odessa, Texas.

Tsha Handbook →

Brewster, Colonel Henry P.

1836

County named for Texas Confederate Colonel Henry P. Brewster, 1816-1884. South Carolinian; came to Texas, 1836. Attorney General, State of Texas, 1847-49. When South seceded he was instrumental in recruiting post office personnel, gathering property, arms, munitions of war from Texas for the Confederacy. Appointed Adjutant and Inspector General under General Albert S. Johnston. Assigned special duty under General John B. Hood. Buried 60 fathoms deep in the Gulf of Mexico at his request. A memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy Erected by the State of Texas 1963

Historical Marker →

J. C. Bird

1881

Julius Canselor Bird (1863-1925) was born in Round Mountain (Blanco Co.), and came to west Texas at age 18 as a Texas ranger, protecting crews during construction of the transcontinental railroad. J.C. then homesteaded and ranched on ten sections of land south of Alpine, along the drainage of Calamity and Ash Creeks. In 1885, he married America Walker, and the two raised Durham cattle on their ranch. J.C. later opened Alpine’s first Buick dealership. He was a charter member of First Baptist Church, and was instrumental in its financing and building. He was a founding member of the Paisano Baptist Encampment. After J. C. passed away on March 8, 1925, Mrs. Bird had a home built on Lockhart Avenue and moved to town.

Historical Marker →

Alpine - Gateway to Big Bend

1882

Alpine is the largest town in the Big Bend region and home to Sul Ross State University. Founded as a railroad water stop, it became the cultural hub of far West Texas.

Things to Do in Alpine

quirky 0.3 mi away
The County Bigger Than Connecticut

Brewster County stretches across 6169 square miles of West Texas desert and mountain making it larger than the entire state of Connecticut. Alpine sits at its…
historical 0.5 mi away
Frank Hamer Started Here

Before Frank Hamer tracked down Bonnie and Clyde on a Louisiana backroad he was a young Texas Ranger stationed in Alpine. He joined the Rangers Alpine company…
historical 20.8 mi away
Fort Davis and the Buffalo Soldiers

After the Civil War the Army garrisoned Fort Davis with Black troops the Comanche called Buffalo Soldiers. These men patrolled the most dangerous stretch of…
spooky 21.4 mi away
Marfa Ghost Lights

Mysterious lights have appeared in the desert outside Marfa since the 1880s. No one knows what causes them. Best seen from the official viewing platform on US…
nature 21.4 mi away
Davis Mountains

The Davis Mountains are an eroded volcanic complex from thirty-five million years ago when this part of Texas was full of active calderas. The peaks are the…
quirky 21.6 mi away
The Marfa Mystery Lights

Out in the desert near Marfa since 1883 cowboys and ranchers have spotted strange glowing orbs dancing across the night sky. A young cowhand named Robert…
quirky 21.9 mi away
Marfa Lights Viewing Area

Nobody knows what the Marfa Lights are. On dark nights mysterious glowing orbs appear over the desert south of Marfa hovering splitting merging and…
quirky 0.5 mi away
The Windmill Jail

Marathons first jail was not a building at all. It was a windmill standing in the middle of North First Street. Drunks and petty troublemakers got chained to…
day trip
Day Trip to Alpine 🌭 (FULL EPISODE) S7 E3

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Everything Near Alpine

62 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

  • Aten, Edwin Dunlap · Tsha Handbook

    Edwin Dunlap Aten, Texas Ranger, the youngest son of Austin C. and Kate (Dunlap) Aten, was born on September 5, 1870, in Abingdon, Illinois. Despite his upbringing, Aten soon developed a rowdy streak and became…

  • Millican, Leander Randon · Tsha Handbook

    Leander Randon Millican, Baptist missionary, was born at Millican, Brazos County, Texas, on August 27, 1853, to Elliott McNeil and Marcella Boyce Triplett Millican. He was the grandson of Robert Hemphill Millican , one…

  • Young, Marvin R. · Tsha Handbook

    Marvin R. Young, Medal of Honor recipient, was born in Alpine, Texas, on May 11, 1947, the son of Roy Clinton and Marilyn (Hoskins) Young. After graduating from Permian Basin High School in 1965 he attended Odessa…

  • Smith, Margaret Lee English [Maggie] · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Southwest Texas, and right here, you might be near the Big Bend region, the stomping grounds of Maggie Lee English Smith. Born in 1895 on a remote ranch, Maggie grew up tough, riding with her…

  • Boatright, Elizabeth Keefer · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, maybe near Alpine, and you're passing through the land of the Comanche and Apache. But right here, in the early 1930s, an artist named Elizabeth Keefer was doing something…

  • Jackson, Joseph Daniel · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Alpine, and right here is a town built by the vision of one man: Joseph Daniel Jackson. He arrived in 1885, settling near what was then Murphyville. Jackson wasn't just a rancher, though he once…

  • Kokernot Spring · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving past Alpine, and right here is the spot where Kokernot Spring once flowed. This water source, known by many names like San Lorenzo or Aguaje de San Felipe, was critical for travelers and Native Americans…

  • Sul Ross State University · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Alpine, home to Sul Ross State University. But this school wasn't just built anywhere. Back in 1917, the legislature said yes to a state college, but only if the town of Alpine could provide the…

  • Alpine, TX (Brewster County) · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Alpine, a town with a name that sounds a little out of place in West Texas. But this community's story started with a simple need: water for the railroad. In the spring of 1882, railroad workers…

  • Alpine Creek · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through Brewster County, and right here, the land tells a story of abundance. Back in 1682, explorer Juan Domínguez de Mendoza described this valley, fed by what's now called Alpine Creek, as looking like…

  • Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here in Alpine, you're near the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. Established in 1974, this nonprofit organization is dedicated to studying and sharing…

  • Kokernot Ranch · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here, you're passing through the vast territory once controlled by the legendary Kokernot Ranch. For over a century, the O6 brand has been a symbol of Texas ranching. John W.…

Show all 62 nearby places
  • Morelock, Horace Wilson · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through the heart of West Texas, and right here is Sul Ross State University in Alpine. You might not know it, but this school owes its survival to Horace Wilson Morelock. He took the helm in 1923, facing…

  • Museum of the Big Bend · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving near Alpine, home to the Museum of the Big Bend. Founded in 1925 as the Trans-Pecos Museum, its mission has always been to preserve and interpret the unique history and culture of this vast region. The…

  • Turney, William Ward · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, and right here, in what is now Brewster County, you're passing through the heart of a massive cattle empire. William Ward Turney started as a lawyer in Alpine in 1887, but he also…

  • McAnulty, William Noel · Tsha Handbook

    You're driving through West Texas, perhaps near Alpine or El Paso, and you might be passing by a place where geology was taught for decades. William Noel McAnulty, known as 'Mac,' arrived in Alpine in 1948 to head the…

  • The County Bigger Than Connecticut · 0.3 mi · Things to Do

    Brewster County stretches across 6169 square miles of West Texas desert and mountain making it larger than the entire state of Connecticut. Alpine sits at its…

  • J. C. Bird · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    Julius Canselor Bird (1863-1925) was born in Round Mountain (Blanco Co.), and came to west Texas at age 18 as a Texas ranger, protecting crews during construction of the transcontinental railroad. J.C. then homesteaded…

  • Brewster County Courthouse · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Brewster County Courthouse in Alpine. Built in 1887, this building has been the center of county government since Brewster County itself was created. It even served the now-defunct Buchel and…

  • City Building · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the City Building in Alpine, a structure with quite a history. Erected back in 1893, it's the oldest public school building still standing in town. Though it stopped being a school in 1910, it went…

  • J.C. Carr-Bob Slight House · 0.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the J.C. Carr-Bob Slight House in Alpine, built in 1884. Notice the adobe brick walls, laid at night for strength, a traditional southwestern style. After 1903, Judge R.B. Slight, who came here to be…

  • Brewster, Colonel Henry P. · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    County named for Texas Confederate Colonel Henry P. Brewster, 1816-1884. South Carolinian; came to Texas, 1836. Attorney General, State of Texas, 1847-49. When South seceded he was instrumental in recruiting post office…

  • Alpine - Gateway to Big Bend · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    Alpine is the largest town in the Big Bend region and home to Sul Ross State University. Founded as a railroad water stop, it became the cultural hub of far West Texas.

  • The Town That Changed Its Name · 0.4 mi · Things to Do

    Before it was Alpine it was Murphyville and nobody liked the sound of that. In 1883 the Murphy family platted a townsite near the railroad tracks in the high…

  • A Mile High in Texas · 0.4 mi · Things to Do

    Alpine sits at 4462 feet above sea level making it one of the highest towns in Texas. The surrounding peaks climb over a mile into the sky and summer nights…

  • Last Stop Before the Border · 0.4 mi · Things to Do

    Alpine is one of the few small towns in America still served by Amtrak and the Sunset Limited rolls through three times a week connecting New Orleans to Los…

  • Tent City of the Cattlemen · 0.4 mi · Things to Do

    Before Alpine had a single building it had tents. Between 1878 and 1882 cattlemen lived in canvas shelters near their herds in the high desert waiting for the…

  • Nolte-Rooney House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Alpine, and look to your right – you're passing the Nolte-Rooney House, built in 1890. This home has walls twenty inches thick, made from adobe bricks that were molded right here on the building…

  • Gage-Van Sickle House · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Gage-Van Sickle House, built way back in 1866. This home has seen a few owners, including L. Gage, Seth N. Gage, W.W. Turney, and Wigfall Van Sickel. It's a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark,…

  • First Baptist Church of Alpine · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the site of Alpine's First Baptist Church. It all started in 1883 when Rev. George W. Baines held the first Protestant meeting in this growing railroad town. The church officially organized ten years…

  • First Methodist Church · 0.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Alpine, home to the First Methodist Church. It was built in 1889, and the original adobe altar portion still stands. This was a shared space, where Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians all met.

  • Frank Hamer Started Here · 0.5 mi · Things to Do

    Before Frank Hamer tracked down Bonnie and Clyde on a Louisiana backroad he was a young Texas Ranger stationed in Alpine. He joined the Rangers Alpine company…

  • The Windmill Jail · 0.5 mi · Things to Do

    Marathons first jail was not a building at all. It was a windmill standing in the middle of North First Street. Drunks and petty troublemakers got chained to…

  • The Haunted Hotel on the Tracks · 0.5 mi · Things to Do

    The Holland Hotel has been welcoming guests since 1928 and some of them apparently never left. Built as a grand stop for travelers on the Sunset Limited rail…

  • Holland Hotel Building · 0.5 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Alpine, a town that boomed thanks to mercury mining. Look to your right for the Holland Hotel Building, built in 1912 for a wealthy cattleman. It wasn't just a place to sleep; it was the social…

  • The Fire That Reset the Clock · 0.5 mi · Things to Do

    In 1916 a fire tore through downtown Alpine and erased nearly everything the town had built in its first three decades. Wooden storefronts and saloons that had…

  • Ritchey Hotel · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're rolling through Alpine, and right here is the site of the old Ritchey Hotel. Built way back in 1886, this place was a hub for the hard-working folks shipping cattle from the vast Big Bend ranches. Imagine…

  • Garcia-Valadez House · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the Garcia-Valadez House in Alpine, built back in 1890. Imagine this place starting with just four rooms, its thick adobe walls a testament to early ranch life. Trinidad Garcia, a ranch hand, built…

  • Townsend, W.W., Home · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the W.W. Townsend Home in Alpine, a solid example of turn-of-the-century architecture. Built in 1908 by William Daugherty, it was home to William Wallace Townsend, who passed away in 1915. Later,…

  • Our Lady of Peace Parish Hall · 0.6 mi · Historical Marker

    You're cruising through Alpine, and right here is the site of the oldest church building in town. Originally named Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, it was finished back in 1892. For fifty years, it served as the…

  • The Jefferson Davis Highway Plan · 0.7 mi

    Several Texas highways carry an old honorary name, the Jefferson Davis Highway. It grew out of a plan conceived in nineteen thirteen and promoted by the United Daughters of the Confederacy: a coast to coast road named…

  • Hoss Cartwright Went to School Here · 0.8 mi · Things to Do

    Dan Blocker stood six foot four and weighed nearly three hundred pounds and before he became Hoss Cartwright on Bonanza he was just a big kid from West Texas…

  • Burgess' Water Hole · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Brewster County, and you're passing a spot known as Burgess' Water Hole. This wasn't always its name. Back in <say-as interpret-as="date" format="y">1684</say-as>, Juan Dominguez de Mendoza called…

  • Ross, General Lawrence "Sul" · 0.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past Alpine, and you're about to pass a marker honoring General Lawrence "Sul" Ross. Ross entered the Confederate service as a private in 1861, but by December of 1863, he was a Brigadier General. He led…

  • The University in the Desert · 0.9 mi · Things to Do

    In 1921 Sul Ross State Normal College opened its doors in Alpine and gave a remote desert town something no one expected — a reason for young people to stay.…

  • The Boys of Summer at Kokernot Field · 7.0 mi

    In a town defined by cowboys, some of the biggest local legends wore baseball uniforms. Starting in 1947, the Alpine Cowboys were the town's beloved semi-pro baseball team, and after a long gap they're back playing…

  • Harvesting the Darkness · 7.0 mi

    One of the most important scientific resources near Alpine isn't in the ground—it's above your head. The deep, dark night sky. About 40 miles northwest of here, on Mount Locke, sits the world-renowned McDonald…

  • Alpine, TX · 7.0 mi

    Alpine's got this quiet feel, but it's a place where legends have taken root. You breathe differently up here, at almost 4,500 feet – the air's thin and clear, and the mountains just stretch on forever. It's no surprise…

  • Alpine · 7.0 mi

    Out in far West Texas, everybody's heard of Marfa — but the town that keeps the whole region running is Alpine. About six thousand people, home to Sul Ross State University, sitting right between Marfa, Terlingua, and…

  • The Hotel Ritchey · 7.0 mi

    The Hotel Ritchey went up in Alpine in 1886 — an adobe railroad hotel where cowhands stopped after driving herds to the Southern Pacific line. A saloon, six rooms down, nine up. A wood-frame wraparound got added in…

  • The University on the Hill · 7.0 mi

    If you look toward the hills north of town, you can’t miss the cluster of buildings overlooking Alpine. That’s Sul Ross State University, and it’s more than just a school; it’s the reason Alpine survived when other…

  • The Crown Jewel of Downtown · 7.0 mi

    As you explore downtown Alpine, one building stands out: the Holland Hotel on West Holland Avenue. There have actually been two of them. Cattleman John R. Holland opened the first Holland in 1912. The three-story…

  • Ancient Rocks Boundary · 7.8 mi · Historical Marker

    Hey road trippers! Look to the east as you drive. Those mountains aren't just pretty; they're a geological timeline. The limestone reefs you see were laid down in ancient seas, some as far back as 250 million years ago…

  • Brewster County · 7.8 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Brewster County, the absolute largest county in all of Texas! This massive territory was carved out of Presidio County back on February 2nd, 1887. Originally named Murphyville, the county seat got…

  • The West Texas Highway Aimed at the Pacific · 10.0 mi

    La Entrada al Pacifico is the name Texas gave in nineteen ninety seven to a chain of West Texas highways: State Highway Three Forty Nine out of Lamesa, a stretch of Interstate Twenty, U S Three Eighty Five from Odessa…

  • The Volcano Under Highway 90 · 10.7 mi

    That gap in the mountains ahead, Paisano Pass, sits inside a volcano. Not a cone -- a collapsed one. About thirty-five million years ago, in the late Eocene, a magma chamber under here emptied out fast enough that the…

  • Pasiano Pass · 11.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Presidio County, somewhere near Marfa, and you're passing Pasiano Pass. Legend says two Spaniards met here and greeted each other with "Mi Paisano," meaning "My Countryman." This spot has a long…

  • First Rural School West of Pecos River · 11.9 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Fort Davis, and just up ahead is the site of the very first rural school west of the Pecos River. Built in 1881 by settlers using adobe brick, this school was a beacon of learning in a rugged…

  • Site of Marfa Army Air Field · 14.3 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through Marfa, and right here, back in World War II, was the Marfa Army Air Field. Established in 1942, it was a crucial advanced multi-engine flying school. At first, they struggled with supplies and…

  • Marfa Lights · 14.4 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving through West Texas, and if you keep your eyes peeled tonight, you might see 'em. The Marfa Lights! For over a hundred years, these mysterious, unexplained lights have danced across the horizon. Rancher…

  • Musquiz, Manuel · 15.0 mi · Historical Marker

    You're driving past the ruins of a pioneer ranch home. This was the place of Manuel Musquiz, who settled out here in 1854. But life on the frontier was tough. Indian raids forced Musquiz to abandon his home. Later,…

  • The West Texas Highway Aimed at the Pacific · 16.3 mi

    La Entrada al Pacifico is the name Texas gave in nineteen ninety seven to a chain of West Texas highways: State Highway Three Forty Nine out of Lamesa, a stretch of Interstate Twenty, U S Three Eighty Five from Odessa…

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