Tunis Creek Stage Coach Stop - Pecos County, TX
N 30° 51.623 W 102° 32.974
13R E 734307 N 3416700
The building used as a stagecoach stop along the San Antonio and San Diego overland stagecoach route is restored at a picnic area alongside IH-10 east of Ft. Stockton, TX.
Waymark Code: WMMDQ0
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/06/2014
Views: 2
Often there are historical markers at Rest Areas along interstate highways, such as IH-10. Some have public art on display as well. But, the Picnic Areas along IH-10 usually only have picnic tables and trash barrels provided.
This Picnic Area along IH-10E is unusual in that it has a reconstructed stagecoach stop located within its boundary, accompanied by a sign of history attached to the facade. Placed here in 1936 by the Texas Highway Department (now known as the Texas Department of Transportation, or TX Dot), this building is a replica of the actual stage stop originally built close by to the southeast of this picnic area. The stones used in this replica were the actual stones used to build the original structure in 1879.
The sign of history reads:
"Tunis Creek Stage Coach Stop
1936
Replica of San Antonio and San Diego overland stage coach stop. This building was constructed of the stone from the original site which is 1/2 mile southeast of this location near Tunis Springs. The remains of a large Comanche indian camp still exist at the original site. The stage line was in use in the years of 1879 to 1881 and was abandoned in 1881 when the T&P Railroad was constructed into El Paso.
Texas Highway Department"
The San Antonio and San Diego stage line predated the more famous Butterfield overland stage line and was eventually merged into the Butterfield line. Both stagecoach lines were relatively short lived, but for the handful of years they were active, they were state of the art in overland transportation. The railroads quickly made the stagecoaches obsolete once transcontinental railroad tracks connected the eastern US with the western US.
This is an interesting, nostalgic, piece of the wild west waiting to be noticed by passing travelers. It is a two room dog-trot style building constructed of local sandstone and cedar beams. The back of the building is a small corral where replacement horses or mules were kept to refresh the stock so the stage could continue on to its next stop, usually about 30 miles (a day's travel) apart, If passing through Pecos county on IH-10, step back in time and make a stop at this waymark as if your car was a stage and you were stopping for a short rest and a quick meal at this picnic area.
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