Editing Brewster County, Texas (section)

===County established and growth===
[[File:PresidioAndNewCounties1888.jpg|thumb|Map of Presidio County, Texas and the counties of Brewster, Buchel, Foley, and Jeff Davis created from Presidio in 1887: Buchel and Foley were abolished and joined to Brewster in 1897.]]
Brewster County was marked off in 1887 from [[Presidio County, Texas|Presidio County]] and named for [[Henry Percy Brewster]]. Murphyville, later renamed Alpine, was selected as county seat.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alpine, Texas |url=http://www.texasescapes.com/WestTexasTowns/AlpineTexas/AlpineTexas.htm |work=Texas Escapes |publisher=Texas Escapes – Blueprints For Travel, LLC |access-date=December 13, 2010}}</ref>

In response to threats of ongoing Indian attacks, [[Post Park|Camp Peña Colorado]] was established in 1879 a few miles south of the future site of Marathon.<ref>{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Richard A |title=Camp Pena Colorado |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qcc48 |work=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=December 13, 2010|date=June 12, 2010 }}</ref>

Word of mouth about the open rangeland in the area was spread by freighters John W Burgess and August Santleben, leading the way for settlers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ochoa |first=Ruben E |title=August Santleben |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fsa31 |work=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=December 13, 2010|date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref>

The [[Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway]] built through the area in 1882, opening up opportunity for entrepreneurs who came on railroad-related business and stayed.<ref>{{cite web |last=Werner |first=George C |title=Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/eqg06 |work=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=December 13, 2010|date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref>

[[Alfred S. Gage]] moved to the area in 1882 to help his brother's ranching operation, founding the [[A. S. Gage Ranch]], one of the largest ranching operations in Texas, in 1883. In 1927, he built the Gage Hotel in [[Marathon, Texas|Marathon]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Kohout |first=Martin Donell |title=Alfred Stevens Gage |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fgapm |work=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=December 13, 2010|date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kohout |first=Martin Donell |title=A. S. Gage Ranches |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/apaps |work=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=December 13, 2010|date=June 9, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ramos |first=Mary G |title=Compass American Guides: Texas, 3rd Edition |year=2004 |publisher=Compass America Guides |isbn=978-0-676-90502-1 |author2=Reavis, Dick |author3=Vandivier, Kevin |page=66}}</ref>

Legendary lawman and later [[Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum|Texas Rangers Hall of Fame]] member [[James B. Gillett]] served as sheriff of Brewster County, and operated a ranch in Alpine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He later retired to his Barrel Spring Ranch in [[Jeff Davis County, Texas|Jeff Davis County]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Metz |first=Leon Claire |title=The Encyclopedia of Lawmen, Outlaws, and Gunfighters |year=2002 |publisher=Facts on File |isbn=978-0-8160-4543-3 |pages=94–95}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=James Buchanan Gillett 1856–1937 |url=http://www.texasranger.org/halloffame/Gillette_James.htm |work=Texas Ranger Hall of Fame |publisher=Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum |access-date=December 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Skelton |first=Bart |title=A Ranch Fit For A Ranger |url=http://www.gunsandammo.com/content/a-ranch-fit-for-a-ranger |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125135535/http://www.gunsandammo.com/content/a-ranch-fit-for-a-ranger |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2013 |publisher=Guns & Ammo |access-date=December 13, 2010 }}</ref>

Joseph Daniel Jackson came to the area in 1882 as part of Company B of the [[Texas Rangers Division|Texas Rangers]] assigned to protect the railroad. By 1882, he had settled near Alpine and taken up ranching, branching out later to become a merchant and civic leader. Jackson is known locally as the father of [[Sul Ross University]] due to his efforts that helped lead to the establishment of the school.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kohout |first=Martin Donell |title=Joseph Daniel Jackson |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fja10 |work=Handbook of Texas Online |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=December 13, 2010|date=June 15, 2010 }}</ref>  Sul Ross University, named for [[Lawrence Sullivan Ross|Texas Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross]], was created by an act of the 35th Legislature in 1917 as a state normal college to train teachers.<ref>{{cite book |last=Peterson's |title=Colleges in the South: Compare Colleges in Your Region |year=2008 |publisher=Peterson's |isbn=978-0-7689-2695-8 |page=194}}</ref>