Editing Kinney County, Texas (section)

===County organization and growth===

The county was organized in 1874. County government followed in 1875. In 1876, Brackettville was designated county seat after the final boundaries of the county were set by the legislature.<ref name="Brackettville, Texas"/> In 1870, the county had 14,846 cattle, and large numbers of cattle were driven north during the great drives of the mid-1870s. By 1880, sheep outnumbered cattle 55,597 to 7,966, and Kinney County became an important source of wool.<ref name="Kinney County, Texas"/> The construction of the [[Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway]] (later part of the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]], and today part of the [[Union Pacific Railroad]])<ref>{{cite book|last=Orsi|first=Richard J|title=Sunset Limited: The Southern Pacific Railroad and the Development of the American West, 1850–1930|year=2005|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-20019-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/sunsetlimitedsou00orsi_0/page/22 22]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sunsetlimitedsou00orsi_0/page/22}}</ref> through [[Spofford, Texas|Spofford]] in 1883 gave the wool and mohair industry access to markets. At the same time, it also helped to bring in numerous new settlers. In 1925, a branch line of the [[Texas and New Orleans Railroad]] was built from near Spofford to connect with the [[National Railroad of Mexico|Mexican National Railroad]] at the Rio Grande.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spofford, Texas|url=http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasHillCountryTowns/SpoffordTexas/SpoffordTexas.htm|work=Texas Escapes|publisher=Texas Escapes - Blueprints For Travel, LLC|access-date=December 14, 2010}}</ref> A large [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] camp constructed adjacent to Fort Clark helped to employ some people during the [[Great Depression]]. With the onset of [[World War II]], wool and mohair were in demand for the defense industries. Fort Clark was closed in 1946.<ref name="Kinney County, Texas"/>

James T. “Happy” Shahan constructed [[Alamo Village]] on his ranch near Brackettville during the late 1950s, for filming of the 1960 [[John Wayne]] epic [[The Alamo (1960 film)|''The Alamo'']]. Preserved as a tourist attraction, Alamo Village continued to serve as a set for hundreds of movies and documentaries. In 1969, Happy Shahan hired 18-year-old [[Johnny Rodriguez]] to sing at Alamo Village, an opportunity that rocketed Rodriguez to stardom.<ref>{{cite book|last=Haenn|first=Bill and William F|title=Fort Clark and Brackettville: Land of Heroes |year=2002|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-2063-6|pages=115–129|chapter=Filming The Alamo and Creation of Alamo Village}}</ref>  Kickapoo Cavern State Park, {{convert|6400|acre|km2}} in both Edwards and Kinney Counties, opened to the public in 1991. It was formerly a private ranch.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kickapoo Cavern State Park |url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/parkguide/rgn_hc_018.phtml |publisher=Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept |access-date=December 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220073441/http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/parkguide/rgn_hc_018.phtml |archive-date=February 20, 2011 }}</ref> The Kinney County Groundwater Conservation District was approved by the voters in 2002.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Schreiber|first=Colleen|title=Kinney County Another Field Of Battle In Texas Water War|journal=Livestock Weekly|date=March 2, 2004}}</ref>