Langtry

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Langtry, Val Verde County, Texas. Now, if you ever find yourself rolling through the dry canyon country west of the Pecos, you might blink and wonder whether Langtry is a town or a ghost of one. The answer, friend, is that it has been both — and the story of how it got there is worth every mile.

It started in 1882, when the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad — later known as Southern Pacific — signed a deed with the Torres Family, who owned the land. The railroad needed water for its locomotives out in that bone-dry stretch of West Texas, and so from a collection of tents there rose, brick by rock by rail, a genuine bustling settlement. Most likely, the town took its name from George Langtry, the man who led a local rail building crew.

That's the straightforward version, anyway. But West Texas has never been content with straightforward. Because lore — stubborn, irresistible lore — ties the town's name to a very different Langtry entirely.

Lillie Langtry was a popular British actress, and one Roy Bean was absolutely enamored of her. Bean owned a local saloon and served as justice of the peace, and in that dual capacity he became known, far and wide, as The Law West of the Pecos. Now, the marker is careful to point out that Lillie was probably not the town's namesake.

Probably. But she did visit here in the early twentieth century, and you can bet Roy Bean's ghost never let anyone forget it. Bean wasn't the only character shaping the place, though.

J.P. Torres — part of that same founding Torres family who signed the original deed — also served as justice of the peace, and he operated both a store and a saloon. Like many of his neighbors, Torres raised livestock, most often sheep or goats.

The ranchers in the surrounding country found that accessibility to the trains was a powerful thing; it pulled them into town, and they in turn supported the local businesses. Langtry built itself up from more than just cattle and courtrooms, too. There was a rock crushing plant, put together specifically for the railroad.

Tuberculosis patients arrived, drawn by the hope that the West Texas air might give them back their health. And during the Mexican Revolution, soldiers came to Langtry looking for goods, guns, and munitions. This was a town that absorbed the full force of its era.

Then, in the 1920s, the rail line was rerouted. And just like that, the current that had carried Langtry forward reversed itself. Population declined.

The bustle quieted. Today Langtry exists primarily as a tourist site. But if you slow down and look — at the landscape, at the buildings still standing — something speaks back.

The Law West of the Pecos held court here. A founding family built a town out of a tent camp and a railroad deed. Soldiers and ranchers and the sick and the hopeful all found their way to this particular bend in the world.

Some places earn their lore honestly. Langtry is one of them.

What the marker says

Langtry Langtry was created in 1882, when the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railroad, later known as Southern Pacific, signed a deed with the Torres Family, who owned the land. The town, which provided water for locomotives, developed from a tent town to a bustling settlement after the rail line was completed. The town was most likely named for George Langtry, who led an area rail building crew. Lore, though, links the town's most famous inhabitant to its naming; Roy Bean, who owned a local saloon and served as justice of the peace, became known as "The Law West of the Pecos." He was enamored of Lillie Langtry, a popular British actress, and although she was probably not the town's namesake, she did visit here in the early 20th century. In addition to the infamous Bean, other local men and women contributed to the town's western ambience. J.P. Torres, part of the town's founding family, also served as justice of the peace and operated a store and saloon. He, like many of the area residents, also raised livestock, most often sheep or goats. Accessibility to the trains attracted many ranchers, who supported local businesses. Langtry supported other industries, including a rock crushing plant created for the railroad. The town also attracted tuberculosis patients who came in hopes of regaining their health. During the Mexican Revolution, soldiers came to Langtry for goods, guns and munitions. The rail line was rerouted in the 1920s, and Langtry's population declined, today existing primarily as a tourist site. The landscape and the remaining buildings still speak to what once was a bustling West Texas town. (2003)