This historic marker is located in a desolate rest area along the SH 163 about 10 miles north of Ozona.
The marker reads as follows:
"High Lonesome Stage Stand
(Site 11 miles northeast)
First station after leaving Ozona on the San Angelo-Ozona mail line. Here, at the 20-mile point of an 86-mile run, fresh horses awaited. The stand, built in 1902, served one of Texas' last commercial stage lines. Ten horses were kept here, as at the three other stations: Shoeingstand (where the horses were reshod each six weeks), Sherwood, and Knickerbocker. Frequent riders were whiskey drummers (peddlers), lightning rod salesmen and preachers. Automobiles (1908) and finally the railroad (1910) put the "hacks" on this line out of business. (1969)"
From the San Angelo Standard-Times: (
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"OUT YONDER: Judge's research sheds light on stagecoach operations in late 1800s
Ross McSwain
7:08 PM, Sep 22, 2012
Second- and third-generation descendants of our early-day settlers are finding some interesting and historic information while prowling through old family records.
Crockett County Judge Fred Deaton shared such a story with members and guests at the Tom Green County Historical Society meeting at Fort Concho.
Some months ago, Deaton was asked to research some history about Ozona-area stagecoach service for a regional meeting of county officials in his hometown. TGCHS program chair Randall Ross heard the judge's presentation and invited him to give the program.
Deaton's grandfather, George K. Deaton, operated the stage line that traveled between Comstock, Juno and Ozona from 1888 to 1910.
Using old photos, documents and newspaper stories from the county museum and county records, Deaton put together an interesting story of those early times traveling trails and unimproved roads hauling passengers, freight and mail. During early years, the Deaton line used the heavy Concord stagecoach but soon switched to a three-seat hack that was less heavy for the teams to pull. It was open air mostly with canvas cover.
Unlike what we see in old western movies — stagecoaches rolling at a fast clip pulled by four to six horse hitches — Deaton said drivers for his family were encouraged to keep a steady trot, and the boss would not tolerate running horses to make up time.
The first route was between Juno and Comstock, but in 1893 the route was expanded to include Ozona with regular service.
In 1892, springtime shipments of wool from Comstock had filled two trainloads. "The future looked bright as progress was coming to West Texas and the market expected more than 30,000 sheep from the Comstock area," Deaton said.
As a result, the Southern Pacific Railroad stated the firm would build additional accommodations for mutton shipments from Comstock and also proposed to build a wool warehouse with expectations of handling about 700,000 pounds of wool.
The previous year, 1891, as Crockett County was being formally organized, a postmaster was appointed and a mail contract was awarded to George Deaton as the "Star Route to Comstock." Mail delivery in those days was "iffy" until better roads were built.
A Feb. 25, 1893, story in the San Angelo Weekly Standard stated, "A road has been finished from Juno to Ozona, a distance of 35 miles at a cost of $500. The road is said to be a model country road."
With better roads, the Deaton family started in the freight business as well. When operating fully, the Deaton Stage Line used some 50 horses, all big and bred to work.
Drivers were paid about $35 per month and were furnished a room at one of the hotels that arranged to house passengers. The one-way charge was $5, and a round-trip ticket cost $9. Express packages cost $1 per hundredweight, and the cost for small packages was 25 cents.
Those using the stagecoaches usually were young people going to school, schoolteachers, preachers, salesmen, ranchers, people visiting relatives and liquor peddlers. "Our area had lots of saloons in those days," the judge noted. Our area also has changed and experienced lots of growth since those days 120 years ago.
Thought for the week: Cultivate your character and your reputation will take care of itself.
I'll be seeing you Out Yonder."