Customer Reviews

A Most Singular Country: A History of Occupation in the Big Bend (Charles Redd Monographs in Western History)

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National Park Service historian Arthur Gomez provides an excellent overview of Texas' Big Bend country, starting from the first encounter of Spanish coming up from Mexico and meeting Apaches in the area. From there, Gomez covers the history of Spanish, then Mexican, defensive measures against Apaches, then Comanches.

As Americans moved into the area, especially after the Civil War, came cattlemen and further requests for defense against Indians. After the tribes were subdued, then came more ranching, then mining, then farming, and finally, the National Park Service.

Gomez covers it all, in an easy-to-read overview with extensive footnotes and an in-depth bibliography.

This history of the Big Bend region of Texas provides a short, readable introduction to the area. Gómez has organized the story around a series of "occupations" of the area, such as Spanish explorers, the US military, Anglo ranchers, and finally the national park. Notably missing in the story is the occupation by Native peoples.

The story essentially ends with creation of the national park. The book was commissioned by the NPS, so it's hardly surprising that he takes a Whig view of history as leading up to the national park as the "final occupation," and the fullest use of the land. You will not find here a critical evaluation of how the park service has managed the park. One might reasonably ask why the park service maintains a large network of dirt roads throughout every corner of the park, roads that precluding wilderness designation without serving any obvious purpose other than allowing car camping in remote areas.

However, acceptance of roads and exclusion of Native Americans are key features of Big Bend National Park and its management, and Gómez can be forgiven for following suit. If you're looking for a brief (<200 pages) and readable introduction to the history of the area, this book will serve you well.