Giddings' Pecos Station

In the mid-19th century, stagecoach lines were a primary means of moving people, mail and supplies through the region. The U.S. government contracted with Henry Skillman for the San Antonio-El Paso Stage line in 1851. In this area, the route ran along the historic Chihuahua Trail, also known as the Lower Road, which was designed to carry U.S. mail. The service soon added passenger and freight delivery. Skillman and William "Bigfoot" Wallace were two of the better known drivers. In 1854, George H. Giddings took over the San Antonio to El Paso line and created a series of stage stations in the area. In 1858, he established one near the "S" crossing of the Pecos River. It had two structures built of adobe, limestone and wood. Teamsters used the larger building as a kitchen and dining room and the smaller structure as sleeping quarters. An adobe or high pole corral with a wide gate stood behind the buildings, housing dozens of horses and mules. Water came from a nearby hand-dug well, formerly an existing spring. In early 1862, a driver of the stage to Fort Lancaster reported Indians had destroyed Pecos Station, and the site was abandoned. Lt. Col. Thomas B. Hunt led a detachment past the ruins in 1869, giving the position as the west bank of the Pecos, 2.5 miles from Camp Melbourne. The exact location of the remote post, however, remained in doubt over the years until archeological investigations in the early 21st century. Stone foundations and cultural artifacts from the 1850s, along with evidence of earlier Native American occupation, helped identify this isolated scene of frontier life. (2007)

Giddings' Pecos Station is a historical marker in Iraan, Pecos County, dedicated in 2007. It is one of 26 historical markers documented in Pecos County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 42 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.9224, -101.9816 near Iraan. The nearest cataloged historic site is Restland (cemetery), about 1.5 miles away. Others within a short drive include Giddings' Pecos Station Graves, Marathon Oil Company Discovery Well, and Ira G. Yates Ranch.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507014031. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.