I Could Not Waltz Across Texas

First of all, it's a huge state. Texas has not gotten any smaller since the last time I drove across it, but there are signs of growth all along the I-10 corridor. El Paso is finally expanding the lanes through the city and there're plenty of indications that other roads are being improved as well.

An overlook in Texas someplace; I'd lost track of where.

But more disturbing is a Border Patrol 'incident' where one agent died and another lies in the hospital severely injured. We came upon a huge gathering of police and Border Patrol vehicles and assets at Milepost 151 east of Van Horn, Texas on I-10 about 10 a.m. Sunday morning as we were heading for Fort Stockton. It was clear to me that something was afoot, but no traffic was being stopped so we kept on at our 65 m.p.h. rate. It was only later in the day when I decided to look for more information that I even got some of the details.

At first all the media was saying one agent was murdered, but in later reports the story has been tamped down and all the intensity about illegal aliens wielding rocks in a murderous rampage has been defused. I would like the truth to be revealed, but perhaps it never will be. I'm only theorizing but it seems like it might have been some kind of accident which did not necessarily involve any folks from the south and after all the saber-rattling of the media, no one wants to admit they jumped to conclusions.

As you arrive in Fort Stockton from the west, this very
impressive metal art sculpture can be seen on the right hill.

As we drive through the lives of the folks in Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and now Texas, it is inevitable that we will see only portions of the fabric of their lives. It was one of the reasons I stopped being an EMT; I didn't like not hearing the conclusions of the events I was participating in.

Texas mountains just before sunset from Fort Stockton, TX.

We stopped in Fort Stockton because I wanted to see the reconstructed fort, read about the history of the area and make sure we didn't race across Texas like we had gone through Nevada.

We were able to get into the fort and also to see the Annie Riggs Hotel Museum with tons of interesting artifacts from settlers who were involved in making their home in Texas. It turns out that taking matters into one's own hands to achieve a particular result is not unique to this area, either.

Texas sunset in Fort Stockton.

"Buffalo Soldiers," so called because the Negroes' nappy
hair reminded the Indians of buffaloes, were key to helping
settle the region after the Civil War.

We saw the largest roadrunner in the U.S., the old pioneer cemetery which has fallen into such disrepair that almost no headstones remain readable, and a number of original buildings which are still being used today. But the downtown/main street is in a sad state of abandonment; the city of Fort Stockton has failed it's constituents by not giving benefits to those who want to have shops there.

It is not enough to have wonderful old historic sites and no main hub reinforcing that history.

However, we did enjoy the actual fort and grounds and some of the video presentations. We made our donation and hopefully along with those of other folks, the Historic Commission will find the funds useful to repair the video that wasn't working and to take care of other aspects of the site so that future visitors will get the full effect.

An artist's rendering of the original fort's site.

It is quite large, unlike the Lewis and Clark fort, and I could almost hear the ghost soldiers and their horses as I walked over the ground.

A building used as a kitchen still stands.

This fort was a key spot for travelers to receive refreshment and support as they wended their way westward. There was a huge natural spring offering fresh water and the troops offered protection from the indigenous tribesmen who didn't want the colonizing Americans on their lands. 

What a time it must have been for all concerned. As we were driving east from here, we discussed the distance and the time it would have taken riders to get from Fort Stockton to Fredericksburg, TX, the nearest bit of civilization in those days, some 270 miles away. We estimated that riding hard, it would have taken about five or six days... over ground that had rattlesnakes, badgers, foxes, wolves, coyotes, wild turkeys and other birds and rodents. We made it in about 4 hours. Grateful it was by vehicle!!

Buildings have been salvaged or reconstructed to give an
historical replication of Fort Stockton as it was in the 1860s.

Fort Stockton parade grounds and officers quarters today.

Travels with Wayne, not waning...

The month of July started pretty fast with lots of dancing and social events, but things have picked up even more since then.

I met a guy who loves to travel and before long we were planning a shake-down cruise in his 40-ft. motor home, hereinafter referred to as the RV. For the few days leading up to the journey, there was a lot of discussion about what to wear, what to bring, what to leave behind, what foods we might want and several demonstrations of on-board equipment. I could tell that my sailing experiences were going to come in handy.

Wayne Ratcliff, standing tall with his buddy.

Wayne is a former forester/farmer with a lot of sensibility about a lot of things, so I trusted his judgment and as he began to realize that he had an 8-year veteran of live-aboard sailing, he began to trust mine. Transitioning from a 45-sailboat to a 40-ft RV is really relatively easy. Except for pulling up the anchor and setting sail, the routines for getting under way are similar.

We started from Sequim, WA, on Aug. 2 with a nearly full tank of gas. As we headed for Forks, WA, his former stomping grounds, we talked a bit about what each of us wants to find in sharing this RV journey. Wayne is an accomplished square dancer, so we will be taking in a lot of dances wherever we go. He is also very involved in ancestry and genealogy. 

I am a photographer and a watercolor artist who wants to build up her bank of resources for future art efforts. And both of us like history, so museums and opportunities to learn more about people, places and things is quite agreeable.

I love seeing that tiny tree starting to grow near the
enormous tailhold block used for moving logs.

So it is no surprise that we went to the Forks Timber Museum at 1421 S. Forks Ave., right on the way toward Lake Quinault and Westport, our final destination. 

This wonderful labor of love for the timber industry is open daily year-round with a steadily growing collection of all the bits and pieces that made Washington State one of the leaders in wood products and Forks the “logging capital of the world” (Museum quote).

This early farm tractor is one of many timber and farm tools
from the era found in the museum.

Early settlers of the ‘West End’ of Washington logged the abundant old growth trees by hand and with the help of teams of oxen in the 1870s. But as the trees were discovered (Cedar, Sitka Spruce and Douglas Fir) with their unique properties, the demand grew. Michael Earles, called the timber baron and developer of the first Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, was responsible for setting up logging camps in the early 1900s providing work for hundreds of men and women. While the men were out falling, bucking, yarding, loading and hauling timber, the women were cooking, washing, working in cedar shake mills (losing fingers) and tending farms and gardens to help their men survive.

Wayne used to milk cows so he had no
trouble explaining what this device is.
(For those who don't know, it's attached
to the udder to milk the cow. One of the
first automated milking devices.)

Display of a typical bunkhouse in the logging camp.

By 1914, the demand for Sitka Spruce for airplanes intensified with the advent of World War I and it wasn’t long before the U.S. Army had built a railroad from Port Angeles to Lake Pleasant providing a quicker way to get the trees off the mountains and into the mills. 

The camp kitchen was critical to a successful logging operation. The men
eat lots of carbs and protein to keep their energy up for working in the timber
industry.

In the museum you can see an example of a typical bunk house, camp kitchen, explanations for some of the tools used, a lookout tower (for fire fighting) as well as a memorial wall for those who died in the forest and in other ways during the growth of this industry.

Linda Offett is in charge of the museum; she's on my left.
We are standing in front of a reclaimed observation fire
lookout station.

The museum charges only a few dollars to come in and browse, read, ask questions and learn more about the timber industry that made Forks and much of the West End what it is today.

Forks doubled in size during the boom years and now is better known for its role in the movie series “Twilight.” It is still finding its legs and direction now that logging has diminished significantly, but it is still a place worth visiting and especially taking at least an hour from driving to enjoy a special museum honoring the timber industry  past.

Joe Offett, Wayne Ratcliff, me and Linda Offett as we prepare to head
further south after a great visit.

Forks Museum website: forkstimbermuseum.org.