BarrY ScoBee MountaIn
Radio for a Wide Range
Serving Far West Texas at 93.5 FM
by Bob Miles
BARRY SCOBEE MOUNTAIN, 6300 Ft. Elevation, Camp grounds and lookout post (1850's–1880's) for
military, mail coaches, freighters, travelers, emigrants. Site of area’s last Indian raid, 1881. Part of John G. Prude ranch.
Named by Gov. John Connally. Dec, 21, 1964 to honor Barry Scobee whose efforts were largely responsible for the preser-
vation of old Fort Davis. He was born, 1885, in Missouri. Served in U.S. Army in Philippines and later on merchant
ship in World War II. Was editor, reporter, printer, publisher. Came to Fort Davis in 1917 and became an authority and
writer on Trans-Pecos history. (1965)
– State Historical Plaque, 1965
Jewelry
Paintings
Photography
Sculpture
Pottery
A co-op gallery representing
Texas artists showing original
fine art and craft.
Old Town Square
N. 5th St. and Sul Ross
Alpine
432.837.7203
www.bbacgallery.com
read uS onlIne!
www.cenizojournal.com
GAlleRy
and then lived in Wash -
Barry Scobee first
ington state until 1925.
came to Fort Davis in
Returning to Fort
1917 to help author
Davis, Scobee became
Carlysle Graham Raht
a freelance journalist,
research and write his
writing both fiction and
book, Romance of the Davis
non-fiction for various
Mountains and Big Bend
newspapers and maga-
Country. He stayed until
zines, while his wife
he and his wife entered a
served as deputy coun-
Kerrville nursing home
ty clerk and secretary.
more than 50 years later.
He served as a justice of
He left Fort Davis for a
the peace from 1939
few years when he volun-
until 1974.
teered for military service
Over the years,
and a few years living in
Photo courtesy Archives of the Big Bend, Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Scobee became recog-
Washing ton state, but
Library, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas.
nized as an authority
was back by 1925.
Barry Scobee examines an old adobe home near Fort
He was born Albert
Davis. The mountain named for him is visible through on the history of the
Barry Scobee in 1885
the window. area, and there is no
question that he did a
on a Missouri farm. He
great deal to promote
became a printer’s devil
and preserve the history of the Davis Mountains.
(assistant) for a country newspaper. After a three-
However, as an old-time newspaper man, he did
year stint in the Ninth Infantry in the Philippines as
not always let the facts get in the way of a good
a prison guard, he went to work for a daily news-
story. (One example of this is his promotion and
paper in Pittsburgh, Kansas. He married
refining, the never-documented story of Indian
Katherine Ford in 1911, and they moved to San
Emily.) He wrote and published a number of
Antonio in 1914. Employed by the San Antonio
books that have become collectors’ items. These
Express-News, he worked as a military reporter in
include Old Fort Davis, Fort Davis Texas, The Story of
the lower Rio Grande Valley covering the revolu-
Fort Davis, The Steer Branded Murder and Nick
tionary activities in Mexico. In San Antonio, he
Mersfelder: A Remarkable Man.
met Raht, who told him of the beauty of the Davis
He did much to help publicize the attraction of
Mountains area. Back in Fort Davis, Raht sent
the “mile high” town of Fort Davis, often acting as
word to Scobee that the owners of the Limpia
a one-man chamber of commerce and was active
Hotel were looking for a manager. Although, as he
in attempts to preserve the old fort, which was final-
later stated, “Neither Katherine nor I knew any
ly acquired by the National Park Service in 1961.
more about running a hotel than keeping warm in
In April of 1965, a mountain along Limpia
an igloo,” the Scobees became hotel managers
Creek on the outskirts of Fort Davis was officially
and moved to Fort Davis. Scobee soon began help-
named Barry Scobee Mountain by the Texas
ing Raht research and write his book (probably
Historical Commission. A special act by the State
doing much of the writing himself).
legislature was necessary for a mountain to be
The men travelled all over the area, interviewing
named for a living person. However, not everyone
old-timers and collecting their stories. Scobee later
was pleased by the naming of the mountain for
recalled that at one time, they were accused of being
Scobee as it already had a name – La Granada –
German spies. Some people in the area were con-
for Trinidad Granado, who had lived at the base
cerned that German troops might move into the
of the mountain for many years.
country from Mexico, and there were rumors that
In 1974, Barry and Katherine moved into a
there were German agents working in the Big Bend.
Kerrville nursing home, where she died in 1975
Shortly after coming to Fort Davis, Scobee was
and he in 1977. They are buried in Fort Davis, the
named editor of the Fort Davis Post newspaper, but
little “mile high” town he worked so hard to promote.
the next year he volunteered for military service
Become a member at www.marfapublicradio.org or 1-800-903-KRTS
C ONTEMPOrArY W EST T EXAS A rT
401 N. 5th Street • Alpine TX 79830
(432)837-5999
representing work by
Charles Bell • Karl Glocke
Ling Dong • Carlos Campana
Hours vary or by appointment
Art and Guitar classes • Weekend workshops offered
Hand-painted signs and graphics
Needleworks,
Etc.
Fine ladies apparel
121 W. Holland • Alpine, Texas
M-F 10 am ‘til 6 pm • Sat. 10 am ‘til 4 pm
432/837-3085
Cenizo
Second Quarter 2010
25