Editing Crockett County, Texas (section)

==History==
Prehistoric people lived in Gobbler Shelter, located on a small tributary canyon of [[Live Oak Creek (Crockett County, Texas)|Live Oak Creek]]. The earliest known Native American tribes were the [[Tonkawa]], [[Lipan Apache people|Lipan Apache]], and [[Comanche]].<ref name="Crockett County">{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Julia Cauble|title=Crockett County|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hcc26|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref>

In 1590, Spanish explorer [[Gaspar Castaño de Sosa]] led a mining expedition of 170 who passed through the western section of Crockett County to reach the [[Pecos River]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Chipman|first=Donald E|title=Gaspar Castaño de Sosa|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fca87|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref> On May 22, 1684, [[Juan Domínguez de Mendoza]] and his expedition crossed the Pecos River and camped at San Pantaleón.<ref>{{cite web|last=Weddle|first=Robert S|title=Juan Domínguez de Mendoza|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fdo52|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref>

[[John Coffee Hays]]'s 1849 expedition charted waterholes for transporting people and freight.,<ref>{{cite book|last=Crockett County Historical Society|title=A History of Crockett County (Texas) |year=1976|publisher=Anchor Publishing|page=22}}</ref> and three years later, U.S. Army Colonel [[Joseph K. Mansfield]] recommended establishing a new post on Live Oak Creek to protect travelers.<ref name="Crockett County"/> [[Fort Lancaster]] was established on August 20, 1855, in response to Mansfield's recommendation.<ref>{{cite book|last=Parent|first=Laurence|title=Official Guide to Texas State Parks|year=1997|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-76575-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/officialguidetot0000pare/page/16 16]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/officialguidetot0000pare/page/16}}</ref> In 1866, the Texas legislature provided three battalions of [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]] to protect settlers in the area.<ref>{{cite book|last=Blackburn Jr|first=Edward A|title=Wanted: Historic County Jails of Texas |year=2005|publisher=TAMU Press|isbn=978-1-58544-308-6|pages=88–89}}</ref> Camp Melvin was established in 1868.<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Julia Cauble|title=Camp Melvin|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbcpp|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref>

On January 12, 1875, Crockett County, named for [[Davy Crockett]], was formed from [[Bexar County, Texas|Bexar County]].<ref name="Crockett County"/> Crockett County became a subsidiary of [[Val Verde County, Texas|Val Verde County]] in 1885, and in 1887 was reduced further as [[Sutton County, Texas|Sutton]] and [[Schleicher County, Texas|Schleicher]] counties were formed from part of its territory.<ref name="Crockett County"/> In 1889, [[Emerald, Texas|Emerald]] became the first town in Crockett County.<ref name="Crockett County"/> Crockett County was organized in 1891, with [[Ozona, Texas|Ozona]] serving as the county seat. The first water well was drilled at the First Baptist Church in Ozona that same year.<ref name="Crockett County"/>

One of the first settlers was W. P. Hoover, who settled on the [[Pecos River]] in 1885.<ref name="Crockett County"/> Throughout the next decade, sheep and cattle ranchers established themselves in the county. The Kirkpatrick Hotel was built to serve stagecoach passengers and cowboys.<ref name="Crockett County"/> Stagecoach services began running in 1900, and contemporary county reports listed seven manufacturing firms.<ref name="Crockett County"/> The [[Crockett County Courthouse]] was built in 1902 by architect [[Oscar Ruffini]]. The building does multiple duty for courtroom and county offices, as well as a community center and dance hall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Crockett County Courthouse|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/WestTexasTowns/OzonaTexas/Crockett-County-Courthouse-Ozona-Texas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref>

In 1925, the first producing oil well within the world, on L. P. Powell's ranch in north central Crockett County, by Chester R. Bunker's World Oil Company.<ref name="Crockett County"/><ref name=oo>{{cite book |last1=Olien |first1=Diana |last2=Olien |first2=Roger |title=Oil in Texas, The Gusher Age, 1895-1945 |date=2002 |publisher=University of Texas Press |location=Austin |isbn=0292760566 |pages=152}}</ref> Ozona erected a statue of Davy Crockett in the town square in 1938<ref>{{cite web|title=Davy Crockett Monument|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/WestTexasTowns/OzonaTexas/OzonaTx.htm#statue|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC.|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref> and opened the Crockett County Museum the following year. In 1958, it was moved to its current location on the town square.<ref>Brochure, Crockett County Museum, Ozona, Texas</ref>