Langtry
Langtry, Val Verde County, Texas
Marker Inscription
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)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Langtry sprang up in 1882 as a water stop for the Southern Pacific's steam locomotives, built on land deeded by the Torres family and named most likely for a railroad crew boss. It gained lasting fame through saloonkeeper Roy Bean, the self-styled "Law West of the Pecos," who so admired British actress Lillie Langtry that legend tied her name to the town she eventually visited. Ranchers, a rock-crushing plant, and even tuberculosis patients seeking dry air passed through before a 1920s rail rerouting left it a quiet tourist stop.
Why it matters
Langtry preserves the mythology of the lawless West Texas frontier, where a railroad, a colorful justice of the peace, and a touch of theatrical legend built an enduring American story.
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Related people
- · Roy Bean
- · Lillie Langtry
- · George Langtry
- · J.P. Torres
Related events
- · Mexican Revolution
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
The Torres Family
Langtry, TX
In the 1870s and 80s brothers Cesario, Bernardo, and Juan Torres won prominence in West Texas for their irrigation work, and Bernardo's Val Verde County land was chosen as the route of the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio railroad. After his death Cesario built the 7D Ranch and gave land for the rail line and depot. His son J.P. Torres, reportedly Langtry's first permanent resident, became Val Verde County's first Hispanic elected official, alternating as justice of the peace with his rival, the legendary Roy Bean.
Site of Vinegarroon
Langtry, TX
In 1882 the Southern Pacific faced its last great barrier—the Pecos River canyon—on the transcontinental line linking New Orleans and San Francisco. Beside the excavation of Tunnel No. 2 rose Vinegarroon, a rough camp named for a local scorpion and home to thousands of mostly Chinese laborers. Roy Bean ran a saloon and served as justice of the peace here until the rails were joined in 1883 and the camp was abandoned.
Near Site, Southern Pacific Ceremony of Silver Spike
Del Rio, TX
On January 12, 1883, near the Pecos High Bridge, two great railroads met and were joined by a silver spike, completing a transcontinental line across the Southwest. The eastern portion had begun in 1850s Texas and was rechartered in 1870 to link Houston and San Antonio to the Rio Grande, while C.P. Huntington drove the Southern Pacific eastward from California. When Huntington and Texas magnate T.W. Pierce reached agreement, their tracks closed the gap.
Pumpville
Langtry, TX
When the Galveston, Harrisburg & San Antonio Railway pushed a line through this arid stretch of West Texas in 1882, its steam engines needed water, so the company built a pumphouse and depot that gave rise to a small community—first called Samuels, then Pumpville. Residents worked the rails or the surrounding ranches, which used the stop to ship livestock to distant markets. When diesel locomotives made the water stops obsolete, the railroad hauled away its buildings, and only the ranching families remained.