Last updated: March 22, 2022
Place
Sublett House Exhibit
NPS PHOTO/ Cathy Hoyt
Quick Facts
Location:
About half a mile inland from the Dorgan-Sublett Trailhead on the Ross Maxwell Road in Big Bend National Park, Texas
Significance:
The Historic Rancho Estelle area consists of the former homes of farmer James Sublett and architect Alvert Dorgan, and other small buildings for farmworkers and work sheds. Originally called Grand Canyon Farms, the property saw some of the first large scale farming along the Rio Grande in what is now Big Bend National Park. Most of the structures are in a state of disrepair from their once livable conditions. The Sublett Farm house is a one story adobe structure of two rooms with cane and viga roofing.
Designation:
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Amenities
1 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits
James and Melissa Belle Sublett arrived in the Castolon area in 1913. In 1914, the Subletts moved into the Alvino House, running the store for four years before starting large-scale farming in the area. In 1918, Sublett purchased four sections of land at this location, and called his operation Grand Canyon Farms. Mr. Sublett was one of the first settlers in the Big Bend area to actively farm the Rio Grande floodplain on a large scale. Using mule-drawn Fresno scrapers and lightweight blades he owned from his days as an earth moving contractor for the Southern Pacific Railroad, Sublett leveled fields and improved irrigation in the Castolon area.
Over the years, the floodplain the Subletts farmed has become overgrown with mesquite and tamarisk trees. The National Park Service is attempting, to a certain degree, to restore the historic landscape at the Sublett farm using mechanical brush removal and prescribed fire. When the property became part of Big Bend National Park, it was unfortunately demolished, as it was not part of the natural landscape and was not yet considered to be of historical value.
Over the years, the floodplain the Subletts farmed has become overgrown with mesquite and tamarisk trees. The National Park Service is attempting, to a certain degree, to restore the historic landscape at the Sublett farm using mechanical brush removal and prescribed fire. When the property became part of Big Bend National Park, it was unfortunately demolished, as it was not part of the natural landscape and was not yet considered to be of historical value.