BIG BEND COUNTRY: LANGTRY TEXAS

LANGTRY TEXAS

At last count only 145 people live in Langtry. There are 2 versions of the origin of the town's name.

One version claims Langtry is named after a civil engineer named Langtry who ran a crew of Chinese workers building the Southern Pacific railroad that passed through the area.

The other name claim is that Judge Roy Bean named the town after an English actress he idolized, named Lillie Langtry.

It is not disputed that Judge Roy Bean named his saloon after Lillie Langtry, calling it "The Jersey Lilly." That's "The Jersey Lilly" in the picture. It still stands and is part of the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center.

The Visitor Center is on U.S. 90 West, about 60 miles west of Del Rio. It is one of 12 Texas Travel Information Centers ran by the Texas Department of Transportation. The Texas Travel Information Centers are very well done.

The Judge Roy Bean Visitors Center features Roy Bean's Jersey Lilly saloon, his courtroom, where he ruled his "Law West of the Pecos," billiard room and opera house.

In the Visitor Center are dioramas that show the highlights of Judge Roy Bean's colorful career in "The Magic of Pepper's Ghost Revealed," in which historic re-enactments take place on miniature stages with "ghost-like" characters talking about Judge Bean.

About 18 miles east of Langtry on U.S. 90 you can stop at a roadside picnic spot on the east rim of the Pecos River Canyon and enjoy the spectacular view.

A couple miles further east and you'll come to Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site. This park features guided hiking tours. The hike is a bit difficult. At Fate Bell Shelter 4,000 year old rock art to be seen. The park has campsites, picnicking and an entry fee.