Dugout Wells

by Charles Dobbs

Title

Dugout Wells

Artist

Charles Dobbs

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Photograph

Description

Dugout Wells by Charles Dobbs. A historic desert oasis, moisture seeps from a bed of gravel in the Chisos Mountains' east flank. Around 1900 a settler dug out a spring to pool the seepage, and later improved the flow with a windmill.

Dugout Wells was considered the “cultural center of the Big Bend” by the residents of the area in the early 20th century.

This area of Big Bend National Park was popular with travelers well before the white settlers arrived. The Comanches had a trail that passed nearby and would stop here to camp on their journeys through the area.

When the white settlers did start arriving, they recognized the value of this area and built a small community, with a schoolhouse (the first in the region) finally being erected around 1911. The schoolhouse also served as a meeting place for the local residents.

In 1915, William James Green bought the land and ranched here with his family. Four of his daughters taught at the schoolhouse until it finally closed in 1933. Around 1937, the building itself was moved to San Vicente, a settlement located near the present day East side of the primitive River Road.

At its height, Dugout Wells hosted about a half dozen buildings.

Uploaded

December 20th, 2018

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