Stabilize, Rehabilitate, and Preserve Historic Structures

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Big Bend National Park houses over 100 historic structures to interpret the "Old West" to visitors from all over the world who come to the park to see and be educated about the American West--early ranching, mining, early agriculture and irrigation practices, the U.S. Army Cavalry Camps and all the infrastructure and features that go along with frontier days in the Old Westâ¿¿ranches, cowboys, horses, cattle, guns, wagons, old mines, mule trains, windmills, hand-dug wells, cavalry to protect the international border and frontier settlers, Indian scouts and Buffalo soldiers. Due to NPS staff shortages and limited funds for maintenance and repairs, many of these historic structures are disappearing and without emergency intervention may soon be lost forever. Most of these structures are eligible if not already listed on the National Register of Historic Places; are on or eligible to the NPS List of Classified Structures; meet the criteria for a Vanishing Treasures resource; or are part of a Cultural Landscape or Maintained Archeological Site. Some retain more integrity than others--but some also are capable of conveying their significance even in a â¿¿ruinedâ¿¿ state and are therefore worthy of re-building and interpretation.

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