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| Landmark #1435 | Hudspeth County | Visited: February 17, 2018 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A stone monument on the side of the road! |
| What makes it historical? | THE MONUMENT SAYS: Resentment over private control of the Salt Lakes in this region, often called Guadalupe Lakes, led to the El Paso Salt War, 1877, which entailed the loss of many lives and much property.
OTHER TIDBITS: The salt of the salt flats was a precious resource as both a seasoning and a silver smelting supply! The Spanish Empire and later Mexican citizens drove long distances to harvest the salt, which was treated as a communal supply, open to anyone. When the USA took over Texas after the Mexican-American War, the rules changed, and that communal resource became privatized. Three land grabbers named W.W. Mills, Albert J. Fountain, and Louis Cardis, filed claim to the land and started charging harvest fees to all the folks who had collected salt here since the 1600s! Misters Mills and Cardis hired a lawyer named Charles Howard, who brought his own special brand of chaos: arresting two Mexican salt harvesters, murdering Mr. Cardis, and attacking a wagon train bound for the salt flats! Mr. Howard was captured by a mob in San Elizario and executed by firing squad, which prompted an American mob and troops to step in and start massacring folks! Most of the remaining families fled San Elizario, opening up the Salt Flats for privatization. |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| How do I find it? | Listed Directions: On US 62/180 4 1/2 mile E. of Salt Flat, TX 79847 Annotations: From Austin: ~522mi (841km) — 8.7hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |