Sonora Texas / Old West Outlaws and Texas History

A visit to the town of Sonora, Texas offers an opportunity to tour it's downtown area that is rich in history and heritage. Sonora is the county seat of Sutton County Texas and is located about 170 miles northwest of San Antonio along Interstate 10 (about a 2 1/2 hour drive)

Sonora, Texas 1898

Sonora is recognized as being located on the western end of Texas' scenic Hill Country. To the west and northwest of Sonora lie the flat expanses of the Chihuahuan Desert.

There are lots of history to see in Sonora involving ranching, old west outlaws and the transition of a west Texas town moving into the twentieth century.

Annual events held in Sonora, Texas include the Annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration held on May 5th... The Sonora Outlaw Pro Rodeo is held every third weekend in August...The Sutton County Game Dinner is the oldest and largest game dinner celebrated in the area held in November...,span>The Dry Devils River Music Flood held for a day each October...Sonora’s annual one-day Christmas Market in December.

Visit the sites where history comes alive...

Old West Shootout on Main Street

On the night of April 2, 1901, William Carver, a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch, was shot and killed in Jack Owen's Bakery by Sheriff E.S. Briant and his deputies. Some accounts say the gunfight occurred outside of the store. With guns drawn on entry, they attempted to arrest Carver and George Kilpatrick on suspicion of the murder of Oliver Thornton in Concho County Texas. One account says that Kilpatrick made a fumbling motion and Carver's gun never cleared the holster before he was shot six times.

Will Carver was buried in the Sonora Cemetery. There is a gravestone marker that simply shows the date of his death, April 2, 1901.

Old Ice House Ranch Museum

Old Ice House Ranch Museum

This is a must stop. A the Old Ice House Ranch Museum which is housed inside an old ice house is a collection of one of a kind memorabilia pertaining to the history of Sonora and Sutton County Texas.

Exhibits include an array of old artifacts to educate and entertain visitors about ranching in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Sutton County. Included with the relics of Sonora is information about the 1901 shootout by sheriff deputies with Will Carver, a member of Butch Cassidy's "Wild Bunch" gang. Carver was on the losing end of the gunfight on the streets of Sonora.

You'll leave this unique museum with a new appreciation of the pioneers that developed this rugged area when the discovery of a deep water well drilling technique opened this parched prairie to sheep, cattle and goats after the bustle of the West had passed it by.

Sutton County Courthouse

The 1891 Sutton County Courthouse was designed by Oscar Ruffini, a prominent architect from San Angelo, in the Second Empire style. Much handwork is evident in the limestone and dressed stone.

Sutton County Texas Courthouse

Restorations of the courthouse took place where all windows were restored and missing roof dormers and roof cresting were reconstructed using historic photographs.

The interior restoration brought all new mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems including fire protection and accessibility improvements All of these enhancement followed the original design. A non-original tile floor at the first floor corridors and offices was removed and replaced with salvaged wood. Original wood windows, doors, stairways, and wainscot were refinished to match the original stain, and wood shutters were reconstructed at all window openings. Wall colors were restored and a decorative wall stenciling of gold and copper leaf was recreated. All vault door decorative finishes were painstakingly restored.

The courthouse was rededicated on June 11, 2002.

Old Sutton County Jail

Old jail in Sonora, Texas

When Sutton County Texas was organized in 1890, a jail was obviously needed. At the time there were several jail construction companies, mostly located back east.

The Pauley Jail Building and Manufacturing Co. of St. Louis was hired to build this jail. The project begans begun in Feb. 1891 under the supervision of Judge J. L. Dunagan. The new jail was completed in Sept. 1891. The native stone jail structure was two story and had a jailer's residence in addition to cells for prisoners. Of special historic note, the first prisoner in the new jail was gambler and gunman John Denson, a cousin of outlaw John Wesley Hardin.

The old Sutton County jail in downtown Sonora stands on Oak Street near the Sutton County Courthouse.

Additional Western Trips articles found on the links below...

Fort Stockton Texas

San Angelo Texas

The Caverns of Sonora

Another must stop while in the area is The Caverns of Sonora. Many believe these are one of the most beautiful caverns in the world. The Caverns of Sonora contains unusual formations, such as bladed helictites and coralloid growths, and is of exceptional beauty.

This National Natural Landmark is located eight miles west of Sonora. Because of its calcite crystal formations and rarity of helictites, the cavern is considered to be a world-class cave. The formation of the cave is said to have occurred between 1.5 to five million years ago. The cave is a constant 71°F, but feels like 85°F due to the humidity. During a tour, you can go 150 feet below the Earth’s surface and be mesmerized by all the formations underground.

For detailed information about the caverns and available tours see...http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/tours Tours of the cave leave the caverns gift shop constantly, with usually never more than a 30-minute wait.

Additiomal photos of Sonora, Texas...