Editing Terrell County, Texas (section)

==History==

===Native Americans===
Evidence of the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous peoples]] of Terrell County are found on the county's various ranches – arrowheads, tools, burned-rock [[midden]]s, caves, and shelters containing Indian [[Pictogram|pictographs]]. Pieces of reed sandals, baskets, and evidence of burials have been found in the caves. The most pictographs are on cliff walls above Myers Spring near Dryden, overpainting giving to the theory that several Indian cultures were involved.<ref name="Terrell County Texas">{{cite web|last=Downie|first=Walter G|title=Terrell County Texas|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hct03|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 14, 2010|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref>

===Early exploration===
Capt. José de Berroterán in 1729 commanded an expedition on behalf of [[Spain]] to explore from [[Guerrero,_Coahuila#San_Juan_Bautista_missions|Mission San Juan Bautista]] up the [[Rio Grande]] to the mouth of the [[Conchos River|Rio Conchos]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=John G|title=José de Berroterán|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbebd|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 14, 2010|date=June 12, 2010}}</ref> Berroterán crossed the southern border, where at a spring near Dryden, legend has it that he placed a large wooden cross. Six years later, another Spaniard, [[Blas María de la Garza Falcón]], found the cross while conducting an expedition in the area and named the spot Santa Cruz de Maya.<ref>{{cite web|last=Garcia|first=Clotide P|title=Blas María de la Garza Falcón|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fga66|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 14, 2010|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> Captain Samuel Highsmith, under the command of [[John Coffee Hays]], crossed the county in 1848 in an ill-fated expedition to open a road from [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] to [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Cutrer|first=Thomas W|title=Samuel Highsmith|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fhi11|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 14, 2010|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref>
In 1851 Army officer and geographer Lt. Nathaniel Michler, working under Major [[William H. Emory]], mapped this portion of the boundary between Mexico and the United States.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wagner|first=Frank|title=Nathaniel Michler|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fmi88|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 14, 2010|date=June 15, 2010}}</ref> Under Lt. William Echols in 1859, caravans of the [[U.S. Camel Corps]] crossed the county searching for a shorter route to [[Fort Davis National Historic Site|Fort Davis]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Faulk|first=Odie B|title=Camels|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/quc01|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=December 14, 2010|author2=Emmett, Chris |date=June 12, 2010}}</ref>

===County established and growth===
In 1905, Terrell County was created by the Texas Legislature by carving about {{convert|1500000|acre|km2}} out of [[Pecos County, Texas|Pecos County]]. It was organized the same year. [[Sanderson, Texas|Sanderson]] became the county seat. In 1881, Texas and New Orleans Railroad surveyors reached the site of present-day Sanderson. Originally named Strawbridge by founder Cyrus W. “Charley” Wilson, the name was later changed in honor of railroad Engineer Joseph P. Sanderson.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sanderson, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TOWNS/Sanderson/Sanderson.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> Charles Downie, a [[Scottish people|Scot]], homesteaded in 1881 and became the first permanent sheepman in the area. Together, the railroad, cattle, and sheep industries were the major economic assets. Ranges were still unfenced. Dryden became a large shipping point for cattle ranchers. Terrell County became one of the biggest sheep and wool producers in the U.S. In 1926, 11,000 lambs averaging $6 per head were sold in one of the largest lamb sales in history. Thousands of pounds of wool and mohair were sold annually through the Sanderson Wool Commission.<ref name="Terrell County Texas"/>  Dryden, the only town besides Sanderson in the county, was also started in 1882, but is now a ghost town.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dryden, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/WestTexasTowns/DrydenTexas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> Judge [[Roy Bean]] is said to have operated a saloon at Sanderson.<ref>{{cite book|last=Skiles|first=Jack|title=Judge Roy Bean Country |year=1996|publisher=Texas Tech University Press|isbn=978-0-89672-369-6|author2=Kelton, Elmer |page=14}}</ref> The oil and gas industry became increasingly important to Terrell County's economy after 1957, when the Brown-Bassett gas field was discovered in the northeast part of the county. Only gas was produced until the 1970s, when high petroleum prices encouraged limited oil production, as well.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chandler|first=Charlena|title=On Independence Creek: The Story of a Texas Ranch|year=2004|publisher=Texas Tech University Press|isbn=978-0-89672-524-9|page=70}}</ref>
Sanderson was struck by a flood on June 11, 1965, in which 28 people died. Two of them were never found.<ref>{{cite book|last=Burnett|first=Jonathan|title=Flash Floods in Texas|year=2008|publisher=TAMU Press|isbn=978-1-58544-590-5|pages=173–185|chapter=Sanderson Flash Floor}}</ref> The Texas State Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1, 76th Legislature, Regular Session (1999) declared Sanderson and Terrell County the "Cactus Capital of Texas."<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Capital Designations|url=http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/capitals.html|publisher=Texas State Library|access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref>