The Ghost Town of Tarlingua

This small community, which is just a few miles west of Big Bend, was, around the turn of the last century a thriving mercury mining town.  The mines were played out by the early 1940s and when the ore was gone, so were the miners.  Although the tourist brochures and media still refer to this as a “ghost town” there are actually a couple dozen residents, mostly artists and musicians.  So instead of an abandoned ghost town, what we saw was a repopulated mining relic.

Tour began at this shack in front of the General Store

Our self-guided walking tour began at the Terlingua Trading Company which had been the company store, mine offices and post office.  Today, it is a souvenir shop selling everything from T-shirts to shot glasses to Christmas ornaments.  Mr. Perry was the mine owner and of course, his house was the biggest on the hill.  Along with the company store and the owner’s mansion, there was also a hotel in town.  The Hotel Chisos with only 8 guest rooms turned out to be too small, so another building was added to accommodate the overflow.  This addition was the “Holiday Hotel” and it has been renovated and is currently serving as a hotel.  The school, church, and jail were also on the tour.

A miners shack

Holiday Hotel

Several of the buildings have been renovated and are art galleries or restaurants.  Most of the adobe shacks that had housed the miners and their families are in ruins.  However, those that could be lived in with minor repairs seem to be occupied.

Perry Mansion

Perry School

Signs marked the walking trail

Down the hill from town is the cemetery.  The oldest grave is from 1903 and it is still being used by the local community.

The church

The Jail

Besides the artists and musicians, there are a couple of outdoor adventure companies offering Rio Grande River trips and horse back riding.  This is the extent of what is offered in this area other than Big Bend National Park.  There is nothing for miles around with the closest city being about 80 miles away.

The cemetery

With our sightseeing out of the way this morning, we had the whole afternoon for chores.  Now with the chores out of the way, we will be back to Big Bend tomorrow for another hike and a scenic loop drive.