ALPINE - Heart of the Big Bend

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had been pitching tents alongside their herds there since the late 1870s . Located on a broad plateau between the Davis Mountains to the north and the Chisos Mountains to the south , the rich volcanic soils and strong water lent themselves to farming and ranching . It was initially called Osborne after the railroad section , but the best spring along the line belonged to the Murphy brothers . The railroad entered into an agreement with them to call the settlement Murphyville in exchange for control of the springs .

The Murphys registered a town plat with Presidio County in 1883 . By 1888 , the townspeople petitioned to change the name to Alpine ; when this change was affected , there were a dozen houses and a handful of businesses ( including no less than three saloons ) dotting the foothills of the Davis Mountains . When Brewster County was created in 1887 , Alpine was made the county seat .

Continued on page 34 .

From its humble beginnings as a cluster of tents to its current status as the center of activity in the Big Bend region , much of Alpine history has been preserved rather than written over .

Exhibits include the series , Western Beef Cattle , by the late El Paso artist Tom Lea ; Fred Darge Paints the Big Bend and Beyond ( Mr . & Mrs . Robert E . McKee III Family Collection ); historic murals and rotating exhibits .

Photo by Rebekah Antrosio

In the historic building , learn about the history of the Big Bend in the Big Bend Legacy exhibit and view original maps from the Yana and Marty Davis Map Collection .

The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday ,

10am-4pm . Closed Sunday-Monday and major holidays . Admission is $ 10 for ages 13 and older . Free parking .

Visit the museum ’ s new Emmett & Miriam McCoy building on the campus of Sul Ross State University in Alpine . 432 · 837 · 8730 · museumofthebigbend . com

Cattle on an Early Mexican Hacienda , 1945-1946 , Tom Lea , Dallas Museum of Art , gift of LIFE Magazine , 1950.32