Orla
Orla, Reeves County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Gateway to Red Bluff Lake, Guadalupe Mountains, Carlsbad Caverns recreational areas. Established 1890 on Pecos Valley Railroad. Developed during land promotions. Had school, general stores, hotel, livery stable. In 1931 remaining merchant and postmaster Hal Olds moved 1/4 mi. west to new highway. (1965)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Orla sprang up in 1890 as a stop on the Pecos Valley Railroad, growing during the era's land promotions into a town with a school, general stores, a hotel, and a livery stable. When the highway bypassed it, the last merchant and postmaster, Hal Olds, simply moved a quarter mile west to the new road in 1931. Today the site serves mainly as a gateway to Red Bluff Lake, the Guadalupe Mountains, and Carlsbad Caverns.
Why it matters
Orla's rise on the railroad and fade beside the highway is a compact parable of how transportation routes made and unmade the small towns of the American West.
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Related people
- · Hal Olds
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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