The biggest surprise at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center was the large Cactus Garden. There are so many varieties of cactus that I was not aware of.
Tag Archives: Langtry
Eclipse Windmill
One of the interesting sights at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center is the Model P Eclipse Windmill from 1900. These windmills were typically sold as a kit, transported to their location in pieces, and constructed by the owner. The engineering included “a regulating mechanism to keep wheel pointed at an optimum angle based on both the wind speed and direction”. Under light to medium wind speeds, the Windmill would work normally, but if the winds were too heavy, the Windmill was designed to align itself angled to the wind gusts so that it would not be damaged. This one was a pretty cool piece of history.
Law West of the Pecos
The primary reason to visit Langtry is to see the saloon / courthouse called “The Jersey Lilly”. In August of 1882, a Texas Ranger requested a local law jurisdiction to be set up, and Roy Bean was appointed justice of the peace for the new Precinct 6 in Pecos County. He held court in the saloon he owned. He named the saloon after Lillie Langtry, an actress from the English Island of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France. After his death, Lillie visited the town of Langtry on the border of Texas and Mexico.
Doll House
Langtry
The city of Langtry, Texas is an interesting place to visit. It overlooks the border between the United States and Mexico. The 2016 population was listed as 12 – yes 12. There is a Post Office, the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center, and some homes scattered about. Here are a few photos from my walking about town.