Brewster County, Texas
Marathon is home to 13 official Texas Historical Commission markers — each one telling a piece of the city’s story. Browse the markers below, then find them on the map and discover more nearby with RoadHistorical.
You are now traveling the Comanche Trail blazed by Comanche Indians, en route from the western plains to Mexico, and traveled later by emigrants and soldiers. It extended south from the Horse Head Crossing of the Pecos…
View on map ↗Established in 1880 as a means of preventing Indian raids into Mexico. Raided by Apaches in 1881. Abandoned in 1893 after Western Texas had been permanently cleared of Indians.
View on map ↗Black Gap, a natural cleft in the basalt ridge northeast of the Sierra del Carmen, frames the headquarters site of the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area. Established in 1948, the "Gap" contains approximately 100,000…
View on map ↗(1818-1902) Typical of those who served the South and then moved into new counties of Western Texas. Surveyor, Indian agent, soldier, legislator, Justice of the Peace. Born in Tennessee. Moved to Texas 1838. Fought in…
View on map ↗Fort Pena Colorada, the last active fort in this area, on the old Comanche Trail, about 4 miles to the southwest was established in 1879. Marathon was founded in 1881. Named by an old sea captain, A.E. Shepard, for the…
View on map ↗Chambers Hotel. Original adobe building constructed in 1891. First owner, Mrs. Mary Collins. Purchased in 1905 by (Gran) Chambers. Enlarged and a wooden frame built over the thick walls. Operated as Chambers Hotel until…
View on map ↗Oldest school building in Brewster County. Built in 1888. Used for all public meetings and all elections. Restored in 1928 by ladies of Marathon Study Club. Is known as the Club House. Recored Texas Historic Landmark,…
View on map ↗Off Main St.
View on map ↗A natural watering place in prehistoric time, as evidenced by artifacts found here. Used later by Indians and Spaniards on roads from northern Mexico. As Maravillas Creek developed from a draw into water channel, old…
View on map ↗In highway cuts toward the east are excellent exposures of almost vertical rocks layers--part of the Ouachita Fold Belt, a northeasterly trending folded and faulted mountainous range which was uplifted about 275 to 290…
View on map ↗Highly deformed rocks in the Ouachita Fold Belt, a northeasterly trending range, uplifted about 275 to 290 million years ago. The intricate folding is shown by whitish rock bands--called caballos (the Spanish word for…
View on map ↗The Gage Hotel This brick hotel building, designed by the El Paso firm of Trost and Trost, was constructed in 1926-27 for Vermont native Alfred S. Gage. A cattleman, Gage founded the largest ranching operation in the…
View on map ↗In 1883, completion occurred of the extension of tracks by the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway (G.H. & S.A. Ry.) Line located between El Paso and San Antonio. Retired sea captain Albion E. Shepard arrived…
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