was a federal New
Deal entity formed to
alleviate unemploy-
ment during the
Great Depression,
especially
among
First World War vet-
erans.
The Park Board
agreed to service the
debt by assigning 50
per cent of gross
entrance revenue and
20 per cent of all con-
cession income for
that purpose. The
bulk of the debt was
held by the landown-
er, the remainder by
two Scottish mort-
gage companies.
This photograph, taken while the road down into the C anyon was being constructed, shows how many men from the C ivilian
The first project
C onservation C orps worked on the project. Photo courtesy of the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
completed was the
building of a road to
for parks. In 1933, the Park Board was
than convert existing federal land to
the bottom of the canyon, followed by
persuaded to buy 16,402 acres of land
parks as in other states.
the construction of the Interpretive
from a landowner for $377,000, having
Local enthusiasts then approached
Center. Both were finished for the open-
first secured agreement from the
their state government representatives
ing day, the Fourth of July 1934, to
Civilian Conservation Corps that four
with the idea of creating a state park.
much local jubilation. By 1937, the
companies of 200 men would be
Texas did not have any state parks until
CCC had also completed trails, the four
assigned to build amenities in the Park.
1923, when a State Park Board was
Cow Camp cabins, the Park headquar-
The Civilian Conservation Corps
established to accept donations of land
ters, the entrance building and shelters. Despite these improvements, howev-
er, the Park did not generate enough rev-
enue to service the debt. Unpaid interest
was added to the principal, so that by
1945, total debt was about $580,000.
After much negotiating, however, the
landowner agreed in 1945 to sell the
entire property to the Texas State Park
Board for $300,000.
The purchase was funded by bonds
that were serviced by 90 per cent of
entrance fees and 20 per cent of conces-
sion income. This time, thanks to post-
war prosperity and to inspired promo-
tion by the Park concessions operator,
the Park flourished, and the bonds were
retired well ahead of schedule in 1960
and 1966.
The 2,036-acre Canoncita Ranch
along the Park’s southern boundary was
added to the Park in 2002, funded by a
grant from the Amarillo Area
Foundation. The foundation funded the
purchase of an additional 7,837 acres in
2005, including the site of the last
Comanche battle in 1874. Palo Duro
State Park now has a total area of 26,275
acres, making it the second largest oper-
ating state park.
the other side. We are all poorer, more
ignorant, and at greater risk for bigger
problems when that border is closed.
When it’s open, we have a free-flow-
ing trade that allows our neighbors to
thrive. We are enriched by the cultural
exchange and the free exchange of infor-
mation. We’re more secure with our
neighbors standing with us. That’s the point, really. It’s a truism
we recite mindlessly all the time, that
united we stand, divided we fall. That’s
true of our communities whether they’re
separated by an imaginary line in the
desert or not. It’s true whether we all
speak the same language or have the
same religion or share the same culture or
not. The more of ‘us’ there are, the bet- ter. If we want to win the battle between
‘us’ and ‘them,’ we should make them a
part of us.
It’s one of the things we’ve been the
proudest of in our history here in the Big
Bend. Though judgments about how
best to solve our problems might vary, we
benefit from standing together.
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 small diced red onion
1 sliced avocado
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
½ cup diced red or yellow bell
peppers
¾ cup canned black beans, drained
¾ cup mango, diced
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
meat Toss the romaine with the onion,
avocado, tomatoes and peppers in a
large bowl. Divide among four salad
plates. Top each salad with a mound of
black beans, some mango chunks, and
the chopped chicken meat. Whisk
together the olive oil and lime juice with
the garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Drizzle this dressing over each salad. 6 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped red chili pepper
½ cup fresh mint leaves
1 ½ Tablespoons finely chopped
fresh cilantro
continued from page 24
food, medicine or employment in those
villages.
Those who stayed were destitute and
desperate. Petty crime soared. Our law
enforcement had no idea of what was
going on, no lines of communication to
continued from page 25
Dressing:
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Make a bed of the lettuce. Distribute
cashews, grapes and brie. Mix dressing
ingredients well. Dress salad. The diffi-
cult part of this salad is stop yourself
from eating all the cashews.
CUBAN CHICKEN SALAD
Salad:
Dressing:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
THAI CHICKEN SALAD
Salad:
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 red grapefruit, peeled and setioned
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
breast meat
1 ½ cups shredded coconut
Dressing:
½ cup fresh lime juice
1 ½ Tablespoons fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Arrange salad. Add dressing ingredi-
ents to pint jar with tight lid. Shake well.
Dress salad.
Cenizo
Second Quarter 2019
27