Zavala County

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Zavala County, and friend, this is a story that starts long before anyone thought to write it down. We're talking 1691. Domingo Teran de Los Rios, Spanish governor of Texas, led an expedition through this very region.

That's the first recorded look anybody took at this stretch of country. And it would not be the last. Running right through here was the historic San Antonio Road, cutting from southwest to northeast across the land.

For the better part of the 1700s, nearly every Spanish explorer and traveler of consequence used that road. In 1714, French-American explorer St. Denis came through on it.

Then in 1718, the Canary Islanders traveled that same route, the very people who made one of the first civil settlements in San Antonio. One road, carrying the whole weight of a continent's worth of ambition. Now, the county itself was created in 1858, carved out of Uvalde and Maverick counties.

It was named for Lorenzo de Zavala, Texas patriot and statesman. A fine name for a piece of ground. But here's the thing about Zavala County.

Having a name and having people are two different matters entirely. The county sat there, named and official, for twenty-six years without enough residents to even organize a government. Not until 1884 did enough people settle in to make it a functioning county.

When they finally got organized, the first county seat was Bates City, later renamed Batesville. First judge was J. M.

Downs. The commissioners were W. C.

Mangum, E. P. Waller, V.

M. West, and G. B.

Kenney. And these folks did not waste time. Before 1884 was even out, a school election had been held in Palo Blanco, and a contract worth seven thousand five hundred dollars had already been let for a courthouse and jail.

They had waited long enough. Then came 1928, and the county seat moved to Crystal City. A new courthouse and jail were built there to go with it.

And then, in 1969, a brand new courthouse went up at Crystal City at a cost of four hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. The county courts of 1968 and 1969 commissioned it: Judge Irl Taylor, and commissioners Cecil Davis Junior, F. D.

Keller Junior, H. R. Reynolds, E.

B. Ross, Jesus Rodriguez, and Henry Volz Junior. From Domingo Teran de Los Rios riding through unmarked wilderness in 1691, to a four-hundred-seventy-five-thousand-dollar courthouse in 1969.

Zavala County took its time gettin' started, but it never did stop building.

What the marker says

Explored as early as 1691 by the expedition of Domingo Teran de Los Rios, Spanish governor of Texas. The historic San Antonio Road crossed this region from southwest to northeast and was used by most of the Spanish explorers and travelers of the 18th century. French-American explorer St. Denis used it in 1714, as did the Canary Islanders, who made one of the first civil settlements in San Antonio, in 1718. The county was created in 1858 from Uvalde and Maverick counties and named for Texas patriot and statesman Lorenzo de Zavala. Not until 1884, however, did enough people reside here to permit it to be organized. The first county seat was Bates City, later renamed Batesville. First judge was J. M. Downs and commissioners were W. C. Mangum, E. P. Waller, V. M. West and G. B. Kenney. Before 1884 was out, a school election had been held in Palo Blanco, and a $7,500 contract had been let for a courthouse and jail. When the county seat moved to Crystal City (1928) courthouse and jail were built here. New courthouse erected 1969 at cost of $475,000 was commissioned by 1968-1969 county courts: Irl Taylor, Judge; Cecil Davis, Jr.; F. D. Keller, Jr.; H. R. Reynolds; E. B. Ross; Jesus Rodriguez; and Henry Volz, Jr., commissioners. (1969)