Big Bend, Texas

In Big Bend again there is so much unrealized potential.

Unfortunately, there are not many highliners inthe south and mid-west, and thus many of the prime locations are, as yet, completely untouched. In both Hueco and Big Bend, these will be the first highlines established in the parks and in Texas as well; this means a lot to Faith, in particular, as she grew up in Austin and would love to establish the first highlines in her home state.

Native peoples lived in and/or passed through this area for thousands of years. Their presence is evidenced by pictographs and archeological sites. In more recent history (the last 500 years) Texas has been claimed by six different nations!

The Big Bend has been a home to people for many centuries, but knowledge of the Rio Grande among non-Indians dates back less than 150 years. Spanish people crossed the Rio Grande in the 16th and 17th centuries searching for gold, silver, and fertile land. Comanche Indians crossed the river in the 19th century, traveling to and from Mexico with their raiding parties.

Mexican settlers began farming on both banks of the river's floodplain around 1900. Anglo-Americans joined in the farming after 1920, when boundary unrest ended. Cotton and food crops were grown around Castolon and what is now Rio Grande Village even after the park was established. (taken from National Park Service website)