There was a sign by the side of the road that mentioned the Sam Nail ranch. Out in this dry, desert country? I couldn't imagine. A day or two later we decided to investigate and what a story! This is the original windmill at a ranch. This spot within Big Bend National Park is 90 miles from the nearest town on the U.S. Side on modern roads. I can't imagine what that trip took back when this ranch was active.
The sign mentioned that there were ruins of a two room adobe home that the rancher and his wife and children lived in. In the distance you can see a more modern windmill which pumps a bit of water up from underground and just pours it on the ground where small animals can feed and some plants can grow.
When the farm was active, this was a creek full of water most of the time., but not any more
And you walk through these thin trees on the trail that leads to the windmills and the ruins of the home. It is astounding that you can find shade here.
When you click on this image, it is larger than normal and you can read a bit of history about the family who lived here. If you are as curious as I was, you may want to read this this article with a more detailed history. The fact that families lived here and had to deal with drought and isolation and loneliness just boggles my mind. I think you will enjoy the read. And look at these photographs as well and the story even becomes more real.
2 comments:
Thank you for providing the link to the story about the families. Very interesting to read about the brothers purchasing so much land to farm but such a hard life and no communication with the rest of the world other than travelers stopping by. Loved to see the beautiful oil paintings in the story.
It is remarkable that they had such a large farm with ideal conditions starting out. Cannot imagine living in such an isolated place. Fascinating read. Betsey
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