Photograph of Fort Leaton ruins in the Big Bend desert, near Presidio, Texas. Several wood support beams of varying lengths support the wall structure. A stone marker near the photograph's left quadrant describes the structure. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The mission was successful, and Christianized many of the tribes until the Padres were called back from this wilderness in the eighteenth century" (pp. 3-4).
Photograph of a flagpole, viewed from the ground looking up with an American flag at the top and a Texas state flag below. A cloudy sky is visible above the pole. The image accompanied the conclusion of a written speech, with the caption: "To those who would protest the American life of challenge and accomplishment, I would remind them, our land has never been easy. [...] The land is rich, not only in landscape, but also in the heritage of those who have tried to tame it. This is My Land, My Heritage, My Hope" (p. 14)
Pphotograph of a barren Big Bend crater. Several edges of the crater contain sparse tufts of grasslands and a mountain range is visible in the far distance. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "These Indians were primarily farmers, whose fields lined the banks of the now dry rivers and creeks. The sites of the Jumano pueblos are still a source of artifacts" (p. 3).
Photograph of a grassy, barren Big Bend landscape, with mountains in the far distance. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The chief engineer gave the honor of naming the newly-created water store to his wife, who was reading a Russian novel" (p. 6).
Portrait of Ben Leaton and Juana Pedraza posing together. Juana is wearing a dark-colored dress and is seated in a wooden chair; Leaton is wearing a dark colored suit, standing to her left, with one hand on her arm. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "An exploratory group headed by John W. Spencer met in Chihuahua and came into the Big Bend" (p. 4).
Photograph of a Big Bend cave painting that includes a picture of a cave buffalo in the upper-left quadrant, a small picture of a buffalo in the upper-right quadrant, and a picture of a caveman in the lower-left corner of the photograph. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The climate changed, and food shortages caused the Jumanos to become buffalo hunters, as evidenced by this cave painting" (p. 3).
Photograph of wildflowers and grasses in a canyon near Presidio County, Texas. There is a large bush of pink wildflowers in the foreground with green grasses and bushes behind. A rocky mountain range features prominently in the background and extends the width of the photograph. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Bluebonnets, our State flower, and sage bloom early in the year-round warmth in the Big Bend Park on the Rio Grande" (p. 2).
Photograph of seven stone items -- fossils of prehistoric shells and bones, and Indian manos (grinding stones) -- displayed on the bottom of a metal tub sitting on a grassy plain. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Water-dwelling dinosaurs, such as those related to the modern crocodile, and bird-like reptiles have been excavated from their rock prisons" (p. 1).
Photograph of a desert landscape in the Big Bend area, including trees and bushes with mountains in the background. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The Big Bend really began to open up when in 1882 the Southern Pacific Railroad planned to lay rails through Ft. Davis on its way to the ocean. The city fathers didn't want the noise of the trains to disturb their beautiful, quiet town, and the plan was revised so the tracks would be laid twenty-five miles south" (p. 6).
Photograph of farm fields in front of a mountain range, located in the Big Bend area. Several tractors and wagons are visible on dirt roads around the fields and desert scrub is visible in the foreground. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The two to three hundred acres behind the mission have been given the title of 'the oldest piece of land continuously used for farming in North America'" (p. 4).
Photograph of a desert landscape in the Big Bend area with a prominent mountain in the center. A dirt road is visible in the foreground as well as an unidentified building. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The city fathers didn't want the noise of the trains to disturb their beautiful, quiet town, and the plan was revised so the tracks would be laid twenty-five miles south" (p. 6).
Close-up photograph of woolly mammoth bones and fossils embedded in the soil, near Marfa, Texas. A red trowel is visible near the top of the image. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The land turned against the 'thundering lizards,' and the Age of mammals came upon the earth" (p. 1).
Photograph of a set from the movie, "Giant" including the front of a stone mansion with a car parked in front. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The house used for the shooting still stands in the pasture where it was put together nearly fourteen years ago" (p. 12).
Photograph of Carolina Borunda Humphries cooking on a wood stove at The Old Borunda cafe. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Carolina Borunda Humphries has cooked on her wood stove in the kitchen at 'The Old Borunda' for many years. This restaurant has been in the Borunda family for three generations" (p. 13).
Photograph of a statue artifact in the shape of a dinosaur. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Early man, who created these artifacts, entered West Texas while the mammoth roamed free" (p. 2).
Photograph of a large, rocky hill in a desert landscape in the Big Bend area. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "[According to an] Indian legend [...] After the heavens, the earth, and the living creatures had been shaped, the Great Spirit had a great accumulation of rocks and stony material left over. Even the Evil Spirit refused the pile, and so it became the mighty Big Bend of Texas" (p. 1).
Photograph of bones and fossils embedded in the soil, near Marfa, Texas. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "This beast watered at a lake which was once in the Big Bend" (p. 1)
Photograph of rocks and mammoth fossils embedded in the soil next to tree roots. A pickaxe and large hole are visible near the top of the image. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "This beast watered at a lake which was once in the Big Bend. His feet were caught in the sticky mud, and the mammoth, unable to move, was preserved" (p. 2).
Photograph of bones and fossils that have been partially excavated from soil, with a trowel in front of them on the ground. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "This beast watered at a lake which was once in the Big Bend. His feet were caught in the sticky mud, and the mammoth, unable to move, was preserved" (pp. 1-2).
Photograph of a cowboy adjusting the saddle on a horse, in front of a wood and wire fence. On the other side of the fence, there are several parked trucks, a windmill, and a second cowboy who appears to be on horseback. A desert hill is visible in the background. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Although modern inventions have made ranching easier, the truck can't compare to the cow pony when it is time for round-up" (p. 11).
Photograph of a rocky desert landscape in Big Bend near Marfa, Texas. The landscape has sparse grasses and weeds; two hilltops are visible in the top right corner of the image. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "[John W.] Spencer tried horse and cattle raising, but because of Indians, failed" (p. 4).
Photograph of two large, cylindrical structures in abandoned Shafter, Texas. Mountains are visible in the background. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Silver was discovered by John W. Spencer in 1883 and with Col. W. R. Shafter, who was stationed at Ft. Davis, gained the necessary capitol to organize the Presidio Mining Company" (pp. 7-8).
Photograph of yellow and purple wildflowers in the desert soil near Marfa, Texas. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Thorns are not the only dangers, as shown by these plants -- senecio and loco -- which are highly poisonous to livestock" (p. 2).
Research paper written for a history class at Marfa High School about the first San Antonio-El Paso mail run, which required thirty days to cover 673 miles by stage coach and heavily armed frontiersmen of ward off attacks. Diedrick Dutchover was one of the men that accompanied the stage coaches on horseback to protect the mail carriers from threats.
Photograph of a series of one-story white buildings making up part of Camp Marfa, viewed from across a large, open, grassy field. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Camp Marfa, later Ft. D. A. Russell, housed cavalry troops during this time [from 1915 to 1920]" (p. 8).
Photograph of a set from the movie, "Giant" showing a close up of one side and the wooden bracing across the back of the facade. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "In 1955, a Warner Brothers film crew [...] moved into Marfa [for] the on-location shooting of the movie, 'Giant,' based on the novel by Edna Ferber. The three hundred stars' and crewmen's presence was probably the most exciting event in Marfa's recent history" (pp. 11-12).
Photograph of a white glider in the sky above Marfa, Texas. "6X" is written on the underside of one wing. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The Presidio County Airport between Marfa and Alpine [...] is the site of several regional and national soaring contests. The International Soaring Contest, never before held in the Western Hemisphere, will be held here in 1970" (p. 12).
Photograph of Grannison Chaney, visible from the waist up, standing in a doorway. He is wearing a Marfa High School jacket and a baseball cap. To the right, a wall clock is visible through a window with the name "Baker Jewelers." The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Grannison Chaney came to Marfa as a shoeshine boy. He became a staunch supporter of the students, the school, and the athletics programs. The students awarded him a school jacket which he wears proudly" (p. 13).
Photograph of bushes in the Big Bend landscape with a long line of mountains in the background. The image accompanied a written speech with the caption: "J. M. Dean, an attorney from El Paso, bought land around Marfa" (p. 6).
Research paper written by Lupita Valenzuela for a class at Marfa High School on December 7, 1969. The paper is about the history of the Catholic Church in Marfa, Texas.
Report written by Lupita Valenzuela for a history class at Marfa High School on December 7, 1969. The report tells about the early missions and priests, the first churches
Photograph of several unidentified students gathering near the Hunter Gymnasium at Marfa High School. There is a flag pole with the American flag and another flag in front of the building. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The students themselves take pride in their town by winning awards in nearly all activities. Junior Historians are creating a museum to honor their founders" (pp. 12-13).
Photograph of a white stone Indian artifact in the shape of a man, or an ape. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The first tribe of Indians to be recorded were called the 'Basketmakers'" (p. 2).
Photograph of a cave painting containing eight vertical stripes on the wall, which may depict human bodies. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: “The Great Comanche War Trail led through Brewster County and into Mexico. Apache and Comanche warriors raided and plundered each other. Their paintings tell the story of their life in a land which defied them" (p. 3).
Photograph of a rocky canyon in the Big Bend desert landscape with a mountain range in the background. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Actually, for many thousands of years, Texas was underwater. Many fossils of sea animals can be found especially around Shafter. Even when West Texas became a lush grassland with many rivers and swamps, the animal inhabitants had little security" (p. 1)
Photograph of three longhorns in Big Bend ranch, standing in a fenced area in front of a desert area with a mountain in the background. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "His [Don Milton Faver's] entire herd of three hundred cattle was run off by the Indians, leaving him with only thirty or forty calves which were in a corral. From this meager beginning, he built a second herd of ten to twenty thousand" (p. 6).
Photograph of a billboard at the side of the road welcoming golfers to Marfa, Texas. The billboard has an image with a golfer, golf cart, and hold, with the text "Welcome to Marfa. Relax & Play the Highest Golf Course in Texas (Elevation 4882 Ft.), Bent Greens, Bermuda Fairways. Entrance to Big Bend National Park." A smaller sign underneath says "July 4-14, 1967." The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The golf course is one of the best in the state and encourages young golfers to pursue their interests" (p. 12).
Photograph of several storefrongs on a Marfa, Texas street, including a jewelry store in the background. Cars are parked outside of the buildings, on the left side of the image, and there is an American flag. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Positive Americanism is too seldom publicized. The people of Marfa demonstrate their patriotism and love for America by daily flying American flags from all businesses" (p. 12).
Research paper written for a history class at Marfa High School about Mary Coe Daniels, pioneer of West Texas, and her family. Daniels and her husband and children made their home in West Texas, despite threats of bandits and influenza. She kept house, ran a successful store, delivered babies, and even became a U.S. mail carrier. At the time this paper was created, Mary Cole Daniels was 76 year old and still greeting customers in her general store.
Photograph of a desert landscape at Big Bend National Park, with mountain ridges in the background. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "In the mountains the beautiful trees provide a pleasant contrast from the brush in the lower lands" (p. 2)
Photograph of a pathway on a rocky hillside in the Big Bend area. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "An exploratory group headed by John W. Spencer met in Chihuahua and came into the Big Bend. This was the first of the rush of settlers to come on the Chihuahua Trail" (p. 4).
Paper submitted to the Junior Historical Society state writing contest held by the Texas State Historical Society, discussing historical landmarks, landscape, and people of Marfa. This written speech accompanied photographic slides (noted in the text with slide numbers).
Photograph of Nicholas Machuca, visible from the waist up, posing outside a stone building. He is wearing a blue plaid shirt and cowboy hat; he has his left hand on his hip and his right arm on a post or wall. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Nicholas Machuca has worked as a cowboy on several of the area ranches after coming to the Big Bend in 1913 from his birthplace in Mexico" (p. 13).
Photograph of the town of Marfa taken from a distance. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "Marfa's twenty-five hundred citizens are a blend of three ethnic groups" (p. 13).
Photograph of a man wearing a cowboy hat, crouched at the edge of a dig, looking at bones and fossils embedded in the soil. A small fenced-in dirt mound is to the left of the man. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The huge mammoth was once the king of the grassy fields" (p. 1).
Photograph of a rocky desert landscape with a mountain ridge (part of the Chinati Mountain range) in Presidio County, Texas. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "The Big Bend is composed of the counties of Presidio, Brewster, and Jeff Davis" (p. 1).
Photograph of images hanging on a wall in a Presidio museum. There is a painting of an Apache Indian on the left and a photograph of an older Indian seated among desert cacti and brush on the right. Text is printed below the images, but is not readable. The image accompanied a written speech, with the caption: "After the death of the Apache chief, Victorio, the Big Bend was relatively safe. Fort Davis was decommissioned in 1891, after outliving its usefulness" (p. 5).
Photograph of Don Milton Faver, wearing a suit, seated next to a child partially visible on the far left. The image accompanied a written speech with the caption: "The first Anglo-American rancher in the Big Bend was Don Milton Faver" (p. 5).
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