Fort Stockton, Texas
The town of Fort Stockton developed with the establishment of the military post in 1859, an outpost on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route at the crossing of Old San Antonio Road and the ancient Comanche War Trail. Popular with Native Americans long before white men arrived because of the large springs nearby, the area was one of earliest irrigated farming efforts in Texas; some 8,000 acres were irrigated as early as 1877.
As the seat of Pecos County, Fort Stockton is the retail and shipping headquarters for vast ranching, natural gas and oil activities, and major a West Texas crossroads. Hunting is excellent for mule deer and pronghorn antelope.