Historical markers ~
BURGESS WATER
HOLE
by Bob Miles
Called San Lorenzo by Juan Dominguez de Mendosa 1683, later Charco
de Alzatein honor of an Apache chieftain. After Civil War given name of
Burgess Water Hole honoring John W. Burgess, pioneer freighter who here
outwitted the Apaches.The emigrant road to California by way of
Chihuahua passed this place.
Erected by the State of Texas 1936
M
ost who visit green
and
tranquil
Kokernot Park over-
looking Alpine today will have
a hard time imagining the
events that transpired here in
years past. Wandering native
groups watered and hunted at
the spring for countless cen-
turies. In 1535, Cabeza de
Vaca may have passed here on
his long walk across Texas.
Antonio de Espejo may have
camped here in 1583, on his
return south from his unsuc-
cessful expedition to New
Mexico.
The first clear record of a
visit to the spring was left by the
Spanish
captain
Juan
Dominguez de Mendosa in
1683. This expedition had
been sent from the El Paso set-
tlements at the request of
Jumano Indians in the La Junta
de los Rios region for the estab-
lishment of missions. With
some 11 soldiers and a number
of Indian guides and slaves, de
Mendosa explored some of
Texas west of the Pecos River.
He reported ample water and
game but no timber at the
spring, which he named San
Lorenzo in gratitude for his
party escaping harm from a
raging grass fire.
The next to visit the water
hole was Dr. Henry Connelly,
an American merchant in
Chihuahua City. In an unsuc-
cessful attempt to establish a
shorter
trail
between
Chihuahua and the United
States, Connelly’s expedition
camped at the site in 1839.
According to a 1952 article in
the Alpine Avalanche, the party
was attacked by Mescalero
Apaches under Alsate (or
Alzate), but the hostiles were
driven off. The spring and nat-
ural ponds soon became
known as the Charco de Alsate.
After 1848, when the region
became an undisputed part
of Texas, Anglo-Americans
moved into the area, military
posts were built and a road was
established between Presidio
and the San Antonio-El Paso
Road. Freighters began to use
the springs on a regular basis.
John D. (not John W. as the
marker states) Burgess of
Presidio hauled supplies to Fort
Davis, Fort Stockton and
beyond. Once, while camped
at the spring, Apaches under
Alsate and Leon surrounded
the wagon train. Too few for an
attack, the Apaches surround-
ed the train and waited for
more warriors to arrive. In des-
peration, Burgess mounted one
of his men, Juan Dominguez,
on his own swift thoroughbred
horse, sent him racing through
the startled Indians and on to
Presidio for help. After a tense
few days waiting to see whose
reinforcements would arrive
first, the freighters were
relieved to see the Apaches
Courtesy of the Archives of the Big Bend, Bryan Wildenthal Memorial Library, Sul Ross State University, Alpine.
scatter as their friends and
neighbors from Presidio
appeared. Juan had ridden
hard. The horse dropped dead
20 miles from Presidio. He
went the remaining miles on
foot. Soon the spring came to
be known as Burgess Water
Hole.
Burgess’ train was attacked
at the spring in1867. After sev-
eral attacks, Burgess attempted
to parley with the Apaches,
took the leaders hostage and
forced the warriors to retreat.
He gave the overcoat he was
wearing to Alsate as a goodwill
gesture. When the Apaches,
who often visited Ojinaga,
showed up with Alsate wearing
the coat, Burgess’ wife saw him
and assumed her husband had
been killed. Alsate was arrested,
but before he could be lynched,
Burgess
arrived
home,
explained what had happened
and Alsate was released.
In 1886, Daniel Murphy, a
Fort Davis merchant, acquired
the spring. The Southern
Pacific railroad needed water
for their steam engines.
Murphy agreed to give them a
lease if they would change the
name of the town from
Osborne to Murphyville. They
agreed, and a pipe line was laid
from a pump house at the
spring to the railroad water
tower. The railway company
later drilled its own well,
discontinuing use of water
from the spring.
When the land was next
acquired by the Kokernot
family, the spring became
Kokernot Spring and was used
to water livestock. In 1931,
Mrs. Ida Kokernot and H.L.
Kokernot gave a 41-acre tract
of land which included the
spring to the state of Texas and
Car insurance with
personal service.
No extra charge.
Sul Ross College to serve as a
state park under the college’s
control.
Today a stucco and native-
stone clubhouse is the scene of
many local functions. An out-
door amphitheater is located
nearby on the site of the old
pump house. Hopefully it will
someday be used again by the
Sul Ross theater department,
which has a nearby theater
facility.
While the water table in the
area has lowered to the point
that the spring no longer flows
as it did, it remains a relaxing
place to stroll the grassy
grounds or just sit in the shade
and contemplate past times
when the frontier was still wild.
At State Farm you get a competitive rate and an
agent dedicated to helping you get the coverage
that’s right for you and the discounts you deserve.
Nobody takes care of you like State Farm. Contact
me. I’ll prove it.
Monica R Woodall CLU, Agent
906 E Holland Ave. • Alpine
432.837.5631
25
monica.woodall.nyve@statefarm.com
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Cenizo
First Quarter 2010