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The old Stardust Motel sign outside of Marfa on US 90/Old Spanish Trail Highway. Looking north towards Valentine and Van Horn.
In the early 1950s the San Jacinto Courts (motel) was built on the western edge of Marfa. The owner had a keen interest in Texas history and used the San Jacinto Monument, near LaPorte, Texas and the Houston Ship Channel, as the inspiration for his original sign. Several years later the name of the motel was changed to the Stardust Motel. You can see the original sign by clicking the info link below.
info from: www.carlastewart.com/chill-wills/roadside-memories-part-2...
From “tough as Texas” live oaks and prickly pear cactus growing out of solid granite to the fertile valley below
Eustoma exaltatum, in the gentian family. Found in the prairies around here, and now in our garden...
Texas
Most of the year the facial skin around the eye is a dull yellow-orange, but in breeding season it turns bright green.
Central Texas, during rare strong storms in November. I waited in position for this cell to graze me for quite some time, and it was worth the wait. It put on a great little lightning show.
That's Jupiter at upper left.
Gayfeather or Blazing Star (Liatris spicata, Asteraceae) is a native perennial plant among the prairie grasses.
Close to Denton, Texas
Fresh oranges from sandwich vendor at china town. She claimed that these came from her own tree. It's sweet and juicy for sure !
Acala, Texas is a ghost town located in the lower El Paso Valley of the Rio Grande in Hudspeth County.
Though the area is comprised of scrub-brush desert (Chihuahuan Desert), various crops have been grown in the region for hundreds of years, utilizing the waters of the Rio Grande. During the late 19th century settlers began to construct large canals to carry the river water to more distant fields. But no planting of crops in the area where Acala would be established occurred until after the introduction of cotton to the region in 1917, near Tornillo.
W.T. Young came to the area from El Paso, to try his hand at cotton farming. He bought a large acreage of cheap desert land near the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks about southeast of Tornillo. Using mules to clear the brush and break the soil for the first time, he planted a Mexican variety of cottonseed called Acala. He was so successful that he built his own cotton gin at the site that became known as Acala.
Soon, a road was built through the area which connected El Paso with Fort Hancock. First called the Bankhead Highway, it later became U.S. Highway 80. This road, along with the railroad siding, provided ideal opportunities to ship the cotton.
By the early 1920s, a town began to grow around Young’s cotton gin. A post office was established with Mrs. Julia A. Vaughn as postmistress before 1925. In 1927 Acala had a population of 50 and two years later that figure had doubled. In time, the town boasted a general store, tourist courts, a restaurant, gas station, and garage. Throughout the area, numerous canals and wells were dug for irrigation.
Over the next decades, Acala’s population fluctuated depending upon economic conditions and was called home to about 100 people in the 1950s. However, with increased mechanization of cotton-raising, the need for field workers decreased and people began to move. By the late 1960s, the population had dropped to 50 and in the early 1970s, to 25, the last figure available.
Over the years, the railroad removed its spur to the town and Interstate 10 replaced the old, two-lane Highway 80 through Acala, bypassing the town.
info: legendsofamerica.com
... hope you do as this place is out of it now. Taken along the old Route 66 in Texas.
Happy Fence Friday
Two men are hiking through the woods when one of them cries out, “Snake! Run!” His companion laughs at him. “Oh, relax. It’s only a baby,” he says. “Don’t you hear the rattle?” —Steve Smith
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend.
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'Like You Do'
Camera: Mamiya RB67
Lens: Mamiya-Sekor 3.8/90mm
Film: Fuji Velvia 50; 04/1992; 12iso
Process: DIY ECN-2
Texas
July 2021