Native Americans Archeological digs at
Tunas Peak uncovered
prehistoric hunter-gatherer artifacts. Fourteen clusters of stones interpreted as wickiup and
tipi rings indicate human habitation. A ring
midden in the camp provided a radiocarbon date of 1300 AD. Archeological finds along Tunas Creek include a burial site,
pictographs, and artifacts; one is a possible modified Langtry projectile point (2,000 BC to 700–800 AD).
Early routes The
Comanche Trail crossed Pecos County near
Horsehead Crossing and through Comanche Springs. The
Chihuahua Trail connecting Mexico's state of
Chihuahua with
Santa Fe, New Mexico, brought travelers through the area by Comanche Springs about 1840. A United States Army outpost,
Fort Stockton, was established in 1858 at Comanche Springs to guard the San Antonio-El Paso Mail. That same year, the
Butterfield Overland Mail began service to the army post.
County established and growth The town of Fort Stockton began near the Fort Stockton army post at Comanche Springs as St. Gaul, Texas, but was renamed Fort Stockton in 1880. Pecos County was established by the
Texas Legislature in 1871 originally out of
Presidio County. In 1871, Pecos County was organized and St. Gaul was named the county seat. About 1,100 people were living in the county that year. The town of
Girvin, named for rancher John H. Girvin, grew around a train stop on the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway that served as a cattle-shipping point. Construction of
Texas State Highway 290 linking Fort Stockton to
Big Bend National Park gave a boost to tourism. In the 1980s, the economy of Pecos County continued to be based on farming, ranching, oil and gas production, and tourism. The
Yates Oil Field in
Crockett, and Pecos counties in 1927 resulted in a financial boom period for the county. Towns such as Red Barn,
Iraan (combination of the names Ira and Ann Yates), and
Bakersfield rose up in response to oil-related employment opportunities. The population of the county more than doubled during the 1920s. Oil production helped to stabilize the local economy.
Alley Oop and Paisano Pete The town of Iraan, Texas, prides itself on being the birthplace of cartoon caveman
Alley Oop, when creator
V.T. Hamlin worked in the oilfields. Although first published in the
Des Moines Register in 1932, Hamlin claimed to have originated the idea while he watched dinosaur bones being dug up by oil equipment. Visitors to Iraan can visit the Alley Oop Museum found on Alley Oop Lane. Fort Stockton pays tribute to the agile roadrunner with its Paisano Pete the Roadrunner statue. ==Geography==