DUANE
Duane's take
The official marker tells it this way, and I'm just the one passin' it along. Now, out here in Potter County, this patch of ground has got more layers to it than most folks would guess just drivin' past. Three stories in one spot — and every one of them worth your time.
Let's start with the oldest, because this one goes way, way back. Near the course of the Canadian River, as early as the days of the American Revolution, men from Santa Fe were already movin' through this very stretch of country. They were heading out to meet traders from San Augustine, Nacogdoches, and other Spanish towns of East Texas.
Just think on that a moment — while folks on the other side of the continent were fighting for independence, there were riders out here crossin' this land on business of their own. Then in 1786, the Spanish Governor at Santa Fe commissioned a man named Pedro Vial to make it official. Vial's job was to establish what would become known as the Great Spanish Road — a direct connection from Santa Fe all the way to San Antonio, with reach into those East Texas towns.
The road served colonial Texas well, and here's the thing that gives you pause: that same general route would go on to carry traffic in the twentieth century as a segment of a great intercontinental highway. Some roads, it seems, just know where they're going. Now fast forward about a hundred years, and the story shifts from Spanish governors to cattle and cowboys.
In 1877, a ranch was established just a mile and a half east of this very site. It was put together by Bates and Beals — northern investors — and they ran the LX Brand out here on the Texas Panhandle. The LX became the first ranch in all of Potter County.
And somewhere along the way, riding for that outfit, there was a cowboy by the name of Will Rogers. At the time, just a hand workin' cattle. Later — well, later he'd be internationally famous as a humorist.
The LX Brand had itself a cowboy before the world knew what it had. And then there's the third story, and this one's got an edge to it. One year after that ranch got going, in 1878, a man named William Pitcher opened the first store in Potter County, just a few hundred feet west of where this marker stands.
Pitcher gave his name to a nearby creek. But William Pitcher is also remembered for something that happened to him — something the marker calls a desperate robbery. A robbery desperate enough that the LX cowhands had to step in and rescue him from it.
The marker doesn't linger on the details of that night, and maybe that's fitting. Some stories land harder when you're left to imagine the weight of them. One marker.
One corner of Potter County. The footprints of Spanish riders, the dust of LX cattle, and a storekeeper who needed rescuin'. This ground has been busy for a long, long time.
What the marker says
GREAT SPANISH ROAD Near course of the Canadian River, early as days of the American Revolution, men from Santa Fe went past this spot on trips to meet traders from San Augustine, Nacogdoches, and other Spanish towns of East Texas. In 1786, Pedro Vial was commissioned by the Spanish Governor at Santa Fe to establish this route, and secure direct connection from Santa Fe to San Antonio, Texas, with access to East Texas towns. The Great Spanish Road served well colonial Texas and foreshadowed 20th century usage of the route for a segment of a great intercontinental highway. * * * * * * * FIRST RANCH IN POTTER COUNTY Established 1877 at point 1 1/2 miles east of this site, by Bates and Beals, northern investors. Ran the LX Brand, and once had a cowboy named Will Rogers--later internationally famous as a humorist. * * * * * * * FIRST STORE IN POTTER COUNTY Opened 1878 a few hundred feet west of this marker, by William Pitcher, whose name was given to nearby creek, and who figured in a desperate robbery from which LX cowhands rescued him. (1965)