The Trans-Pecos: Texas Beyond the Mountains

Hello friends, and welcome back to Hidden History of Texas. This is episode 93 The Trans-Pecos: Texas Beyond the Mountains (NOTE: This is not a verbatim transcript)

Last time, we visited El Paso, a city whose story began centuries before there was a Republic of Texas. It reminded us that Texas has never been just one history or one culture.

Today, I'd like to take you somewhere that many Texans have heard of, but relatively few have truly explored.

Where? The Trans-Pecos.

Now, if you're like most people, you've probably seen the name on a map or heard it mentioned in a weather forecast.

But what is the Trans-Pecos?

The answer is actually quite simple.

"Trans" means across or beyond.

The Pecos is, of course, the Pecos River.

So the Trans-Pecos is literally the land beyond the Pecos River.

Simple enough.

But don't let that simple definition fool you.