MUSQUIZ RANCH
by Bob Miles
Skinner & Lara, P.C.
Certified Public Accountants
610 E Holland Avenue
Alpine, TX 79830
Phone (432) 837-5861
Fax (432) 837-5516
Photo by Dallas Baxter
Remnants of the barn and outbuilding of the Muzquiz Ranch, now protected by a roof. In the distance at
the roadside park, cottonwoods reportedly grown from the fence posts used by the Mulhern family, later
ranchers in the area.
W
they caught up with them
ith the establishment
somewhere in the rugged Big
of Fort Davis near
Musquiz Ranch
Bend. Only one of the civilian
Limpia Creek in
Ruins of the ranch home of
guides lived to tell of the one-
1854, some felt the region
Manuel Musquiz, pioneer who
sided battle. Most of the
would soon be safe for settlers.
settled here in 1854. Abandoned
Confederates’ bodies were
Manuel Musquiz, a political
due to Indian raids the deserted
never recovered.
refugee from Coahuila,
buildings served as a Ranger sta-
While Don Manuel was away
Mexico, was one of those peo-
tion intermittently 1880-1882
from home at the time of the
ple. He established a ranch
while the country was being
raid, it seems to have been
some 7 miles southeast of the
cleared of Indians and bandits.
enough, and, as the political
fort along a creek that would
Erected by the State of Texas
climate seemed to have
later bear his name. A large
1936
improved for him, he returned
meadow bordered the flowing
home to Mexico. The records
creek, ideal for crops and graz-
show the Musquiz family had a long and influen-
ing for livestock. He built a substantial home, out
tial history in Santa Rosa (later named Melchor
buildings and corrals. The 1860 Census lists Don
Múzquiz), Coahuilla.
Manuel as a farmer with 17 employees, servants
In a strange twist, it appears that Manuel
and family members and lists his personal estate
Musquiz was, in fact, the uncle of Alsate, one of
at $2,000 and real estate at $1,000.
the last leaders of the Big Bend area Apaches.
Things would soon change. The troops at Fort
According to an article in the Journal of Big Bend
Davis were nearby, but the Apaches were often
Studies, Manuel's brother Miguel had been cap-
nearer and faster. On Aug. 4, 1861, between 100
tured and raised by Apaches. Alsate was Miguel’s
and 200 Mescalero Apaches, probably under the
son. Things did get complicated on the frontier!
leaders known as Nicolas, Antonio and Espejo,
In 1913, Jake Grubb and his brother-in-law
ran off some 100 horses and cattle from the fort
W.O. “Buster” Miles (the writer’s grandfather)
pasture. They also struck the Musquiz Ranch,
were working cattle in the area when they noticed
taking the livestock and killing three people dur-
a disturbance in the ground. A closer examina-
ing the raid.
tion revealed a freshly dug hole and what
At the time, Fort Davis was occupied by only
appeared to be bone fragments and the remains
25 Confederate soldiers of the Second Regiment
of a fine coffin. In the bottom of the hole was the
of the Second Texas Mounted Rifles under
imprint of a crock. The tracks of a man, a
Second Lt. Ruben Mays, an inexperienced 26-
year-old. Lt. Mays quickly formed a column
composed of six troopers and seven civilians and
continued on page 27
set out in pursuit of the Apaches. Unfortunately,
desertcritterwear.com
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