Fort Davis, the town...

Fort Davis Historic Site

We visited this little town a couple of times. Lots of houses for sale...so we figured, must be cheap to buy a house here. After we picked up the local real state listings, we found otherwise.

Houses are more expensive than Austin TX!
Judging from the time we looked at property outside Alpine TX some years ago, it seems that the powers-to-be that shape the economics of this area have an economic development strategy based on attracting rich people to buy vacation/retirement properties. This, I think, is a dead-end strategy that leads to "Master & Servant" communities that produce nothing.

The town seems to currently rely on the tourism generated by the Fort Davis historic site, and the sheer beauty of the surroundings. Hotels, B&B's, eateries, and the staple Rock Shop...there is one every mile around here.

Fort Davis Historic Site...REI circa 1890?

For every charming cute touristy area of a town, there is always a poor side that works and supports the sunny side. We found this area on the East side of town. This side of town spells out struggle, grit, decay. We talked to some locals, workers in stores and little business owners. They seem to be happy, and they attribute its source to the slow pace of life, and the agreeable weather year around.

Vicky talking with Ron the broom maker.

We meet a young woman that just moved from Eugene Oregon, where she reported that unemployment is dreadful. Also a business owner that moved form Forth Worth Texas, and she is very happy in Fort Davis. But the cake was taken by the colorful and charming Ron Cox, who is a broom maker and operates his little shop right on the main street in Fort Davis. He makes old school style brooms, beautifully handcrafted one by one, all by him.

Ron Cox, Fort Davis broom maker extraordinaire.