TPTR Mission The Texas Pecos Trail Region develops and promotes heritage preservation and tourism

throughout the richly diverse West Texas area.

Inside this Issue:

Pecos Trail Heritage Tourism Grants 1 Invite to Pecos Trail Partners Event 2 Jan 21, Stanton Travel Itinerary: 2 Historic Theaters Texas Preservation Trust Fund Grants 3 Mobile Apps for Travelers 3 Preservation Spotlight: 3 Historic White-Pool House Jan Calendar of Events 4 Contact Information 4

TPTR Board of Directors Bill Hodges (Chair) Sonora Main Street, Sonora

Ellen Crossland (Vice Chair) Mendoza Trail Museum, McCamey

Peggy Kelton (Secretary) Upton Cnty Historical Commission, McCamey

Sherry Phillips (Treasurer) Mayor of McCamey

Betty Damron Crane County Historical Commission, Crane

Russell Nowell Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville

Bill Simon Smart Choice Auto Group, Junction

Jefferson Spilman Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, Sheffield

Ruben Vargas Trendy T’s, Midland

Pecos Trail Heritage Tourism Grants

The Texas Pecos Trail Region Heritage Tourism Grants are once again available for partners and communities to assist with special projects, events, and programs that promote heritage tourism within the Pecos Trail Region. These grants are intended to promote public awareness of the history and culture of our region, encourage community involvement and participation, and enhance the visitor experience. Annual grant amount per project or event is up to $1,000, with applicant providing at least a 50% matching share. Although there is no stated minimum grant amount, the project must have a substantial cost and will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Types of eligible projects include printed materials (e.g. travel guide), exhibit development or rental, website design and development, interpretive or way-finding signage, educational programs for the general public, and workshops to develop heritage tourism. Types of projects not considered include building renovations and capital improvements, operating and administration expenses, strictly advertising, projects advocating politics or religion, personal endeavors, and projects for groups without official status or federal tax I.D. number. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or government entity. Reporting is required before and after project or event. For more information or to receive a grant application, contact Scott Jordan at (325) 387-3900 or info@texaspecostrail.com. You may also download the application and fact sheet at www.texaspecostrail.com.

Recent Grant Projects: left, historical marker at Fort Clark Springs; right, lighting for exterior mural at Museum of the Desert Southwest in Crane.

Texas Pecos Trail Region Newsletter January 2016

Pecos Trail Newsletter Jan 2016 Page 2

Travel Itinerary: Historic Theaters Check out these historic performance venues in the Pecos Trail Region!

To learn more of these and other heritage tourism attractions in the Pecos Trail Region visit http://texaspecostrail.com.

Globe Theatre Odessa

Founded in the late 1950s, this authentic replica of Shakespeare’s famous London theater hosts Elizabethan and modern plays, the Brand New Opree, local amateur productions, and more.

Paul Poag Theatre Del Rio Featuring a 1947 Art-Deco façade, this downtown venue on Main Street offers a variety of live music, cultural events, classic movies, and plays performed by Del Rio’s own Upstagers.

Ector Theatre Odessa

Built in 1951 and restored with original décor inside and out, this venue brings live music and family-style entertainment to downtown Odessa.

Yucca Theatre Midland

A local landmark since 1929, this unique downtown building exhibits Gothic and Assyrian architecture, and is home to the popular long-running Summer Mummers.

Invite to Pecos Trail Partners Event — Jan 21, Stanton

Post Theater Fort Clark Built in 1939 for cavalry and infantry troops and civilian personnel stationed at Fort Clark, and still offering plays, dance parties, and live music on occasion.

Aztec Theatre Eagle Pass Opened in 1915 and featuring Mayan style detailing, this theater was the first of its kind in the U.S. for silent movies and vaudeville. The building houses a dance studio and is located on Main Street.

The Texas Pecos Trail Region is having our next bi-monthly Partners Event on January 21, starting at 10 a.m., in Stanton TX at the Martin County Library. The public is welcome to attend. We are planning a tour of the historic Carmelite Monastery, built in the 1880s and currently undergoing adobe restoration. Other speakers and activities TBD. Cost of lunch is $10 per person and will be collected at the door. Please RSVP by Jan. 15 to Scott Jordan at (325) 387-3900 or info@texaspecostrail.com. We hope to see you there!

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Preservation Spotlight

Built in 1887 on a small knoll in what is now South Odessa, this two-story red brick house was constructed by Charles and Lucy White and their two sons. The Whites, a Quaker family, had come to West Texas from Indiana to settle on railroad land in Ector County. The house changed hands until obtained by Oso Pool in 1923, who, in response to a large influx of workers and a housing shortage during the oil boom, turned the home into an apartment building. The property was donated to Ector County for historical preservation in 1978. Now a museum, the Historic White-Pool House preserves the history of West Texas and stands as the oldest remaining structure in Odessa. Rooms in the house are interpreted in two major time periods: the 1880s “pioneer era” and the 1930s “oil boom era.” The museum complex also features an Eclipse windmill and wood tank, barn replica, farm outbuildings, and an outhouse. The White-Pool House is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Texas Archeological Landmark. It is also involved with the Odessa Council of the Arts & Humanities and the Odessa Convention & Visitors Bureau. Their volunteers have begun an extensive revitalization project that includes restoring the windmill and original staircase and the construction of a historically appropriate Victorian gazebo with an outdoor kitchen/service area.

Texas Preservation Trust Fund Grants

The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is accepting Texas Preservation Trust Fund Grant Program applications for the fiscal year 2016. The deadline for receipt of applications is 5 p.m. on January 29, 2016. All applicants are required to submit a brief application form to the THC for review. The THC will select the highest priority projects from the initial applications and invite those applicants to move forward to the next step. Successful applicants will continue the process by submitting detailed project proposals by July 15, 2016. Full project proposals will be considered by the THC for final grants awards in October 2016. The Texas Preservation Trust Fund Grant Program is your opportunity to save and protect the threatened historic structures and significant archeological sites of Texas. Grant awards may be used for restoration work, architectural planning, archeological investigation, preservation planning, and curatorial, resource survey, and heritage education projects. By submitting an application you can inform the THC of educational needs in your community and endangered historic properties and archeological sites that may be lost if this valuable assistance is not provided. Application forms are now available on the THC website or by calling (512) 463-6094.

The White-Pool House Museum is located at 112 E. Murphy and open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Contact 432-333-4072, email whitepoolhouse@outlook.com, or visit www.whitepoolhouse.org for more info and for personal tours. The historic home, barn, gardens, and gazebo may be rented for special events.

Texas Tourism Mobile Apps

Discover the real stories and the real experience of Texas with mobile apps! Offered by the Texas Historical Commission at the Texas Time Travel website, these mobile apps help visitors explore the historical, cultural, and natural resources that make Texas unique. The mobile website allows you to select from a number of videos, listen to audio clips, and learn about history from transcripts. You can also choose points of interest by city or site, locate a site using the maps, access historic sites and museums, and share your experience. There are several topics of particular interest to travelers in the Pecos Trail Region. The Bankhead Highway apps reveal the history of the Good Roads Movement and auto-based tourism, as well as the importance of state parks and the oil industry in developing the highway. 19th-century forts and the Black Seminole Scout Cemetery are represented in the African Americans in Texas app, while several sites and communities such as Brackettville, Del Rio, and Balmorhea can be found in the Hispanic Texans app. WWII on the Texas Home Front includes narratives relating to the Rattlesnake Bomber Base and the Midland Army Air Field. Please let visitors and travelers know about these apps to aid in their experience and enjoyment of our heritage. The apps can be found at http://texastimetravel.com/get-guides.

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Regional Upcoming Events

Jan Event – Location 1-31 Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown — Museum of the Southwest, Midland 1 First Friday Art Walk — Downtown Del Rio 1 Historic Rocksprings Centennial Open House — Historic Rocksprings Hotel, Rocksprings 2 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville 7-15 Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo — Ector County Coliseum, Odessa 8-9 Sutton County Jr. Livestock Show — Sutton County Civic Center 9 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville 9 Monahans Sandhills Resolution Run — Monahans Sandhills State Park, Monahans 14-16 Reeves County Jr. Livestock Show — Reeves County Civic Center, Pecos 15 Piatigorsky Concert — First Baptist Church Sanctuary, Junction 16 Montalvo House Market — Montalvo House, Brackettville 21 Third Thursday Reading Program — George W. Bush Childhood Home, Midland 21 Pecos Trail Partners Event — Martin County Library, Stanton 23-24 Permian Basin Gun Show — Ector County Coliseum, Odessa 23 Presa Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site, Comstock 23 UFO Festival — Paul Poag Theatre, Del Rio 24 Upper Canyon Guided Hike — Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site, Comstock 26 Cowboy Breakfast — Maverick County Lake, Eagle Pass 28 Family Science Night: “Oceans” — Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, Midland 29-30 Midland on Tap — Commemorative Air Force, Midland

For more details on upcoming events, please visit the Events or Highlights sections at http://texaspecostrail.com.

The Texas Pecos Trail Region Newsletter is scheduled for website publication and electronic distribution each month.

Texas Pecos Trail Region, P.O. Box 212, Sonora, Texas 76950

Office 325-387-3900 Cell 325-206-2571 Fax 325-387-3977

Email info@texaspecostrail.com Website http://texaspecostrail.com

Executive Director and newsletter publisher: Scott Jordan

Statewide Events, Workshops, Etc. Jan 6-7 McAllen International Travel Show — Convention Center, McAllen — Exhibitors from all over the world participate to promote their destinations and products to Winter Texans and other travelers. To register for a booth space visit www.internationaltravelshow.com. Jan 8 Texas Preservation Trust Fund Application Webinar — Online — Get information about the grant application cycle, including program eligibility and filing procedures. Webinar begins at 2 p.m. Register here. Feb 23 TTIA Unity Dinner — Austin Convention Center — Opportunity for industry professionals to educate their state legislators and local officials about the value of travel and tourism to the state’s economy. To learn more and register for a table visit www.ttia.org.