We started our tour at the San Angelo Visitor Center, a beautiful native limestone building on the North Concho River.
After talking to a couple of wonderful ladies in the Visitor Center about what to do in the area, we took a short walk along the Concho River.
This area is known for some oil and gas industry, but primarily for wool and sheep. The river walk is lined with artwork in tribute to the most important item in the wool industry.
Under the Claiborne St overpass, a local artist has created a couple of mosaic pieces memorializing.....cars?
And, of course, we have another decorated sheep nearby.
Just down the street from the Visitor Center is the site of Fort Concho. Established in 1867 at the junction of the Butterfield Trail, Goodnight Trail, and the road to San Antonio, the fort protected travelers during their arduous journeys to and from the west. The parade ground is huge compared to other forts we have visited.
Officers were quartered in quite nice houses, while enlisted men made due with drafty barracks.
The fort hospital has a collection of late 19th century potions and lotions:
We walked the perimeter of the fort, noting that most of the buildings had been restored on their original foundations. This is a glimpse into the life of the frontier army. Exhibits were a bit scarce, but one interesting piece that we had not seen previously was the 1862 Gatling Gun. The 1862 model used paper cartridges loaded like a muzzle loading rifle. By the Civil Wars end, the gun was using conventional style metallic cartridges, and was being issued to military posts on the frontier. 5, 6, and 10-barrel models in .45, .5, and 1 inch caliber were issued, and by 1895 there were 494 gatling guns in use throughout the military.
We drove around San Angelo and environs on Wednesday, the 3rd, but encountered only murky water in the surrounding reservoirs, constant dust, and really odd road intersections with confusing traffic control. Ok, back to the motorhome...
Concho pearls are created when freshwater mussels in the Concho River ingest an irritant, and began to coat it with "nacre", eventually coating the irritant completely with a beautiful, iridescent coating. Harvesting the mussels is now prohibited, requiring a permit that has not been issued to anyone since the 1980's. Concho pearls are now harvested in small quantities from "farms", but the demand far surpasses the supply. An interesting note is that these pearls are rarely spherical as we've come to expect from traditional pearls.
However, at Legend Jewelers in old town San Angelo, two perfectly spherical Concho pearls are on display. The one on the right is valued at $95,000!.
Downtown San Angelo is home to an eclectic variety of stores. One of which was at one time a drugstore with a soda fountain. It is said that the ghosts of past patrons stand waiting at the soda fountain for a sweet drink that is never served.....
An antique store had a complete set of billiard balls for sale....less the 8 ball and the 12 ball. Kinda like San Angelo....
The Cactus Hotel was opened in 1929 as the fourth Hilton Hotel. Falling on hard times during the depression, the hotel was sold and renamed the Cactus Hotel. It fell into disrepair until a process of restoration was begun in 1992. It's thirteen floors (the tallest building in town) are now home to a variety of Civic offices as well as some private businesses.
Eggemeyer's General Store has been in business since forever, and displays everything from fresh fudge to retro candies to kitchen utensils and toys. A person could get lost in here for hours (and Donna did!).
Across Concho Avenue from Eggemeyer's is the location of Miss Hattie's Bordello Museum. In 1898 a young couple, Mr and Mrs H. A. Hatton, built a building at 18 East Concho Avenue. The first floor was operated as a saloon and the couple lived upstairs. After four years of marriage, she filed for divorce, an almost unheard of act in the day. It was decided in the settlement that the Mister would continue to own and operate the saloon downstairs, while the Missus would own the upstairs. Hence the upstairs address: 18 1/2 E. Concho Avenue!
In those days, the choices for employment for a young woman were severely limited, so Miss Hattie turned to the oldest profession. After Mr. Hatton skipped town and left the lower floor to be leased out, Miss Hattie set up shop upstairs. Eventually tunnels were opened from the basement of the Bank down the street and Miss Hatties establishment, providing a discreet entrance for "gentlemen". Miss Hattie operated an upscale "gentleman's social club" with gambling and liquor offered as well as other services.
The reception room was elegantly furnished.
The bordello was said to be the most extravagant business in the city, and the details prove it! Of some 15 documented bordellos located in San Angelo at one time or another, Miss Hatties was the best!
The girls lived in their individual rooms, but ate in a communal dining room. Food was catered from outside as the upstairs of the building only had a butlers pantry that measured 6 feet by 8 feet.
Five rooms are open in the museum, each with details of one of its occupants. The ladies both lived and worked in their rooms, receiving wooden tokens from clients which they exchanged for dollars in Miss Hatties office. The token/dollar system was developed so that Miss Hattie would not miss her 50% cut of the money!
One of the working girls, Miss Kitty, inherited a ranch from one of her customers, a ranch that continues to be operated by her descendants to this day!
The furniture is for the most part original. All the beds are original, and furnishings have been chosen to reflect the character of the rooms occupant. This room was used by Miss Goldie, who was the main attraction at Hatties. She commanded the exorbitant price of $2.00 for her favors! She remained at Miss Hatties until the Texas Rangers closed the doors in 1951. After closing, Goldie could be found not far from her previous place of employment selling flowers on the corner of Chadbourne and Concho streets.
If these walls could talk....
As a last stop in downtown San Antonio, we stopped for lunch at Stango's Coffee Shop. A mishmash of decorations and found objects, it is a popular hangout for ASU students. Pretty good pizza too!
So, off we go west toward our next adventure.....We'll stop again in Van Horn, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Tucson, Arizona, and eventually in SoCal for a few days to help my Mom celebrate her 99th birthday! At home in mid-April, we'll begin preparing for our summer trip that starts right after Memorial Day.
As I write this next sentence, we're in Van Horn, Texas. The wifi/cell in San Angelo was particularly crummy, so I waited, hoping that the situation would improve here. Not so. Hopefully this will post tomorrow in Las Cruces. Keep your fingers crossed!
We've made it to Las Cruces. It's Saturday, the 6th of April, and we're set up in Hacienda RV Resort. This park is the one we most often stay at when we're in the area, as it's close to Interstate 10 (but far enough away to be quiet) and the sites are well manicured, if a bit close together. The wind is not a huge factor as yet today, and we're enjoying the extra hour that we gained while entering Mountain Time Zone. Site 140 is a conveniently located pull-through, with the added benefit of being easy to get out of when we leave. This will do nicely!
One of the Las Cruces attractions that we've missed in the past is the famous Roadrunner at the I10 rest stop just west of the city. Perched on a hill, it's not easily visible from the highway. But a short drive and a very short hike get you to an awesome view of the Mesilla Valley, and a bit of curiosity as well!
Made from found and discarded items, this work of art keeps an eye on the city.
What a clever use of old silverware!
