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Ruins of the Ranch Home of Manuel Musquiz

Fort Davis vicinity, Jeff Davis County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Ruins of the ranch home of Manuel Musquiz, a pioneer who settled here in 1854 - Abandoned due to Indian Raids - The deserted buildings served as a Ranger station intermittently, 1880-1882 while the country was being cleared of Indians and bandits. Erected by the State of Texas 1936

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

In 1854 the pioneer Manuel Musquiz built a ranch home in the rugged country near the Davis Mountains, only to abandon it under the pressure of raids. In the early 1880s the deserted buildings found new purpose as an intermittent Ranger station while the region was being pacified.

Why it matters

These crumbling walls testify to the dangerous, contested frontier of far West Texas, where settlement, Native resistance, and the state's ranging companies collided.

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Related people

  • · Manuel Musquiz

Themes & tags

Nearby & related markers

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