Comstock, Texas, Val Verde County. (original) (raw)

History in a Pecan Shell

Named after a railroad dispatcher for the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad, Comstock came into being about 1883. The original town site was just east of present Comstock and was called Sotol City.

Like hundreds of towns in Texas, the post office appeared at the same time as the first store. In this case the year was 1888 and the store belonged to George Washington Ames. The Deaton Stage Line operated between Comstock and Ozona for 22 years beginning in 1888. The population was as low as 8 people during the depression, and reached a peak of 400 during WWII*.

Today Comstock is a little too close to Del Rio for travelers heading west to need a rest stop so soon, and east-bound travelers probably stopped in Langtry. The hilly terrain makes an interesting residential section. The highway frontage is littered with failed businesses and the liveliest building in town is the U.S. Border Patrol Station.

Comstock Stories

• Bud Newman Gang by Mike Cox
  Bud Newman didn�t amount to much as an outlaw, but not for lack of grit... While Newman never hit the big time, he clearly had aspirations. And his memory lived on well into the 20th century at Comstock, where some of his exploits occurred... more
• The Wolfman of Comstock by Gary Humphreys
  This is a true story told to me by my mother, during the fifties��

The water tower stands in a residential backyard. It now serves as a reservoir for a swimming pool.* (See Comstock Forum) The present condition of the water tower is not representative of the charming community of Comstock.

*Our source, as it often is, is the Handbook of Texas Online.

Comstock, Texas Area Hotels ›Del Rio Hotels

Comstock, Texas Forum

• The Comstock stage line was owned by George Deaton - Lou Lane, April 27, 2005
• *I was raised in Comstock, Texas and now make my home in Houston. The water tower was constructed, as you mentioned, as a reservoir for the swimming pool. It never served as the water tower for the town. It is on private property but as a small child, I remember swimming in the pool. - PKZ, December 13, 2004

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