Marfa -- Marfa TX
N 30° 18.803 W 104° 01.319
13R E 594032 N 3353916
The west Texas town of Marfa has transitioned over the decades from the WPA writers' visit from a cattle ranching economy to an arts and tourism-based economy
Waymark Code: WMV1E1
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/07/2017
Views: 6
The waymark coordinates are for the beautiful Presidio County Courthouse in downtown Marfa, as seen in the movie "Giant".
Since 1927, the Marfa Stockyards have been an important economic engine for the town. In the 1930s, they were right near the top of gthe economy of Marfa, as the WPA writers saw when they visited. In 2016 the Marfa Stockyards are way down the economic impact list, far behind tourism and arts. The footprint of the Marfa Stockyards, a busy and expansive shipping point by rail for cattle in the 1930s, has been reduced in scale over the decades to ship cattle by truck, and no longer trackside in 2016.
When the WPA writers came trough in the 1930s, Marfa's heyday was was 20 years in the future, when Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean descended on this dusty town to film the classic movie "Giant."
From Texas: A Guide to the Lone Star State:
"MARFA, 232 m. (4,688 alt., 3,909 pop.), a treeless, jacal-fringed town with a green park around its railroad station, was founded in 1884, and is active in the shipment of cattle and mohair. Large ranches are hidden in the mountains north and south, and are supplied by the modern stores on Marfa's wide main street.
There is excellent hunting for deer, bears, and mountain lions in the region. (Hunting permits can be obtained at the various ranches, to which directions will be given by Marfa Chamber of Commerce).
In Marfa is the junction with US 67 (see Tour 18). "
Blasterz wonder what Marfans thought when the read the WPA guide and noted the absence of a mention for their "Great Lady," the much beloved Presidio County Courthouse.
Book: Texas
Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 618
Year Originally Published: 1940
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