Langtry, Texas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Langtry, Texas
Unincorporated community
Main Street in Langtry
Langtry, Texas Location in Texas
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Val Verde
Elevation	1,289 ft (393 m)
Population  (2016)
• Total	12
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	78871
Area code	Area code 830
GNIS feature ID	1377171, 2034106

Langtry is a very small community in Val Verde County, Texas, United States. It's famous because of a unique person named Judge Roy Bean. He was known as the "Law West of the Pecos" and had his saloon and courthouse right here.

The History of Langtry

Langtry started in 1882. It was first a camp for railroad workers called Eagle Nest. The Southern Pacific Railroad built it. Later, the town was renamed after George Langtry. He was an engineer who helped supervise the Chinese workers building the railroad.

Judge Roy Bean's Story

Soon after the railroad was finished, a man named Roy Bean arrived. He set up a tent saloon on railroad land. Later, he built a wooden saloon. He called it "The Jersey Lilly." This name honored a famous British actress, Lillie Langtry. She was from the island of Jersey. (Even though her last name was Langtry, she was not related to George Langtry.)

Judge Bean used his saloon as his office. He was a justice of the peace. This meant he could make legal decisions. He proudly called himself the "Law West of the Pecos." Judge Bean had a very interesting career. He passed away in 1903.

Changes in Langtry Over Time

In 1884, Langtry got its own post office. By 1892, the town had a general store, a railroad depot, and two saloons. But things started to change in the early 1900s. The main highway was moved a bit north. This meant fewer travelers passed through Langtry. Because of this, businesses lost money and jobs.

In the 1920s, the Southern Pacific Railroad moved its facilities away. More jobs were lost, and the town's population got much smaller. By the 1970s, only about 40 people lived there. Today, visitors still come to the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center. This helps keep the town alive.

Getting Around Langtry

Langtry is located along US 90. This is a major road.

There are no public transportation services right in Langtry. The closest train stop is for Amtrak's Sunset Limited train. This train passes through Langtry on Union Pacific tracks. However, it does not stop in Langtry. You can find a stop about 60 miles (96 km) northwest in Sanderson. Or, you can go 60 miles (96 km) southeast to Del Rio.

Learning in Langtry

Langtry used to have its own school district. It was called the Langtry Common School District. But before 1976, this district joined with the Comstock Independent School District. In 1964, Langtry had more than 60 students.

The entire county is served by Southwest Texas Junior College. This college provides higher education options.

Amazing Archeology Near Langtry

Near Langtry, you can find an important archeological site. It's called Bonfire Shelter. This site is located on Mile Canyon. Archeologists have found many old bones there. These bones are from animals like bison.

Thousands of years ago, Native Americans would hunt bison here. They would drive the bison over the cliff. This was a way to get food for their communities.

Langtry in Movies and Books

Langtry has appeared in many movies, TV shows, and books!

• The Westerner (1940) is a film about Judge Roy Bean. Walter Brennan plays the Judge.
• The Wild Bunch (1969) mentions Langtry. It's where a character named Freddie Sykes used to be active.
• Lillie (1978) is a TV miniseries about actress Lillie Langtry. It also talks about the town's name.
• Judge Roy Bean (1955–1956) was a TV show set in Langtry. Edgar Buchanan played the Judge.
• The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) is a movie starring Paul Newman. It made people more interested in Texas history.
• Roy Bean is a character in Le Juge, a comic book from the Lucky Luke series.
• The Other Roswell: UFO Crash on the Texas-Mexico Border (2008) is a book about a reported UFO crash near Langtry in 1955.
• The town is important in R.A. Lafferty's science-fiction novel Fourth Mansions.
• Langtry is mentioned in the novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.
• Many people who study reptiles love to visit Langtry. They look for different kinds of reptiles that live in the area.
• An episode of the TV show Death Valley Days called "A Picture of a Lady" shows Judge Roy Bean renaming the town of Vinegaroon to Langtry. He did this to honor Lillie Langtry.
• Langtry also inspired a fictional town called Langtree in the video game Wandersong.

Langtry's Climate

Langtry has a hot, semiarid climate. This means it's generally warm and dry.

Images for kids

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  Langtry around the 1880s.

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  The beautiful Pecos River east of Langtry. Judge Roy Bean said he was "The Law West of the Pecos."

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  A historical marker in Langtry about Judge Bean.

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  Judge Roy Bean holding court at The Jersey Lilly.

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  The Jersey Lilly saloon in September 2005.

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  Inside Judge Bean's saloon in Langtry.

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  A restaurant in Langtry, Texas, named after Lillie Langtry.

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  The windmill at the Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center.

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  Sunset Route, Mile Creek Canyon (3 miles east of Langtry, Texas, postcard, circa 1908).

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  Sunset Route (postcard, circa 1908).