Last updated: May 25, 2022
Place
La Harmonia Store
NPS PHOTO
Quick Facts
Location:
Along the Ross Maxwell Road in Big Bend National Park, Texas
Significance:
The building housing the historic La Harmonia Store was originally a barracks builing for the U.S. Army. The barracks were completed about 1920, and included the store, a major local trading post. The first store in the Castolon area was begun in 1903 and had been located in the east end of the Alvino House. This enterprise was later moved to the "Old Castolon Store", and finally, under the partnership of R. W. Cartledge and Howard E. Perry, to the Barracks Building.
Designation:
U.S. National Register of Historic Places, U.S. Historic District, HABS
Amenities
1 listed
Parking - Auto
The building that historically held La Harmonia store was built between 1919 and 1920 to serve as the barracks for U.S. Cavalry troops stationed here during the Mexican Revolution. The soldiers, however, probably never occupied the building, as the Revolution ended and troops were withdrawn shortly after its construction. The buildings were purchased by Wayne Cartledge and Howard Perry, partners in La Harmonia Company. Perry was the millionaire owner of the Chisos Mining Company in nearby Terlingua, and Cartledge was his bookkeeper until they formed La Harmonia Company in 1918. Cartledge named the company “La Harmonia” as he hoped to encourage peaceful relations (harmony) in the area. La Harmonia Company was vital to the existence of individual ranchers and the farming families living in the remote villages of Castolon, La Coyota, El Ojito, and Terlingua de Abajo.
Imagine this frontier store as it was in the 1920s-- stocked with a wide variety of merchandise that catered to the diversity of clients on both sides of the river. Screwworm medicine and saddles were available for use on local ranches. Patent medicines, quinine capsules, toothache drops, and liniment helped residents pull through without a local doctor. Staple groceries, shoes, and clothing were also for sale. More exotic items like wedding veils and lace could be specially ordered. Bundles of wolf, mountain lion, and skunk pelts (mostly from northern Mexico) added to the scene and smell. Conversations in English and Spanish filled the air. The store remained in business until 1961, when La Harmonia Company holdings were incoporated into Big Bend National Park.
Tragedy struck on May 22, 2019, when a fire in Mexico to jumped the Rio Grande. With temperatures around 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the fire spread quickly and showered embers on the shade structures of La Harmonia Store and the historic latrine. Despite valient efforts, structural and wildland fire crews could not safely extinguish the fire before both buildings suffered extensive damage. Luckily, firefighters saved many other buildings, artifacts, vital utilities, and nearby Cottonwood Campground. Although damaged, the buildings remain a rich remnant of Big Bend's pioneer and military past. The National Park Service is consulting with adobe experts, historic architects, and structural engineers to determine whether these structures can be salvaged or rehabilitated. A temporary restroom and concession was added to the area. The visitor center is now housed in the historic Garlick House.
Imagine this frontier store as it was in the 1920s-- stocked with a wide variety of merchandise that catered to the diversity of clients on both sides of the river. Screwworm medicine and saddles were available for use on local ranches. Patent medicines, quinine capsules, toothache drops, and liniment helped residents pull through without a local doctor. Staple groceries, shoes, and clothing were also for sale. More exotic items like wedding veils and lace could be specially ordered. Bundles of wolf, mountain lion, and skunk pelts (mostly from northern Mexico) added to the scene and smell. Conversations in English and Spanish filled the air. The store remained in business until 1961, when La Harmonia Company holdings were incoporated into Big Bend National Park.
Tragedy struck on May 22, 2019, when a fire in Mexico to jumped the Rio Grande. With temperatures around 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the fire spread quickly and showered embers on the shade structures of La Harmonia Store and the historic latrine. Despite valient efforts, structural and wildland fire crews could not safely extinguish the fire before both buildings suffered extensive damage. Luckily, firefighters saved many other buildings, artifacts, vital utilities, and nearby Cottonwood Campground. Although damaged, the buildings remain a rich remnant of Big Bend's pioneer and military past. The National Park Service is consulting with adobe experts, historic architects, and structural engineers to determine whether these structures can be salvaged or rehabilitated. A temporary restroom and concession was added to the area. The visitor center is now housed in the historic Garlick House.