Comstock, Texas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Comstock, Texas
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 Comstock, Texas
Location in Texas
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| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| County | Val Verde |
| Elevation | 1,549 ft (472 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
78837
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| Area code | 432 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1333194 |
Comstock is a small, unincorporated community. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a city or town. It's located in Val Verde County, Texas, in the United States. Comstock is about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Del Rio along U.S. 90. It's also the closest community to Seminole Canyon. This canyon is a very old place where people have lived for about 9,000 years! In 2010, Comstock had 475 residents.
Contents
A Look Back at Comstock
How Comstock Started
Comstock began around 1883. It was created when the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railway built its train tracks. The railway was heading west towards El Paso. The area was first planned as "Sotol City." But it was later named Comstock, after John Comstock. He was a person who helped manage the trains.
Early Days and Growth
The town was built near a natural lake. This lake was used to supply water to the community. Today, the lake sometimes dries up. Comstock got its own post office in 1888. However, it was in a remote area. This meant it was far from other places. It also didn't have many resources. Because of this, the town didn't grow very fast.
Comstock was busiest between 1888 and 1910. During this time, the Deaton Stage Line operated there. A stage line was like a bus service using horse-drawn carriages. It ran between Comstock's train station and Ozona. Ozona was about 60 miles (100 km) north. The train station in Comstock didn't last much longer than the stagecoach line. Even though businesses have changed names, the town hasn't changed much in the last 70 years.
Today, Amtrak’s Sunset Limited train still goes through Comstock. It uses the Union Pacific tracks. But the train does not stop in Comstock. The closest stop is about 30 miles (48 km) south, in Del Rio.
Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site
Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site is a very interesting place. It has cave drawings. These are pictures carved or painted on rock. They show that people lived there a long, long time ago. Some evidence dates back to the early Archaic period. This was around 7000 BC.
Later remains include stone circles and cairns. These are piles of stones from the late Prehistoric period. You can even find things from the 1800s. These are from when the Southern Pacific Railroad was built. This was one of the first transcontinental railroads in the country.
Education in Comstock
Students in Comstock attend schools run by the Comstock Independent School District.
For higher education, the entire county is served by Southwest Texas Junior College.
