Culberson County

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way out in far west Texas, where the land stretches wide and the sky goes on longer than a Sunday sermon, there's a county with a story worth knowin'. This is Culberson County.

It was formed from El Paso County, carved out and made official on March 10, 1911. And they didn't waste any time getting things running, either. Just thirty-nine days later, on April 18, 1911, the county was organized.

Now, a county needs a name, and this one was given a good one. It was named for David B. Culberson, born in 1830, died in 1903, and in between those two years he packed in a life that could fill a library shelf or two.

The man was a famous constitutional lawyer. He rode as a Confederate officer. He served in the Texas legislature.

And if that wasn't enough, he went on to serve as a member of the United States Congress. The kind of man, in other words, that a county doesn't mind havin' its name attached to. And the county seat?

That's Van Horn, sittin' out there in the high desert like it was always meant to be there. Culberson County. Named for a man of law, shaped from the land of El Paso County, and still standin' firm in that far west Texas sun.

What the marker says

Formed from El Paso County; Created March 10, 1911; Organized April 18, 1911; Named for David B. Culberson 1830-1903 famous constitutional lawyer, a Confederate officer, member of the Texas legislature, member of the United States congress; Van Horn, the county seat.