Sand belts, drilling history, and historic sites give Winkler County its varied character. The Sand Hills stretch across the county, four other Texas counties, and New Mexico as a belt about 100 miles long. At the same time, markers and buildings tell of the oil industry’s history and life in Kermit and Wink. Those interested in the landscape and local history will find a wide range of subjects here—without them adding up to a single narrative.
Sand Hills and Blue Mountain
In the Sand Hills, dunes rise more than 70 feet high. Water just two feet below the surface supports the growth of willows, cottonwoods, and a thicket of plum trees. The county’s other vegetation includes grasses, brush, creosote bushes, and cacti; scattered stands of willows and wild plums are also found here. Elsewhere in the county, vegetation includes grasses, brush, creosote bushes, and cacti, along with scattered stands of willows and wild plums.
At 3,400 feet, Blue Mountain is the highest point in Winkler County and forms the southern escarpment of the Llano Estacado. The Sand Hills and Blue Mountain thus represent different geographic features: a far-reaching sand belt with high dunes on the one hand, and the county’s highest point on the other. A 1938 archaeological excavation documented rock shelters at Blue Mountain with mortar holes and pictographs. Depicted motifs include human hands, snakes, horses, and geometric patterns.
The history of the Sand Hills stretches back a long way, too. From the 17th century through the 1870s, Comanches used the White Sandhills and Blue Mountain areas of Winkler County as gathering places. The Sand Hills were already known to Indigenous peoples and many Spanish explorers; they were mapped for gold seekers and settlers in 1849. Willow Springs is located in the Sand Hills and was an important water source for Comanches and pioneers in West Texas. After gold was discovered in 1849, gold seekers traveling to California often used Willow Springs.
Kermit, Wink, and the Oil History
Wink was established in 1926 after oil was discovered in the Hendrick Oilfield and was originally named Winkler, after the county. Kermit was named for Kermit Roosevelt, the son of President Theodore Roosevelt, who had visited a local ranch. Kermit is considered a center of the cattle industry; at the same time, Winkler County is one of the state’s significant oil and natural gas producing areas. These two sides are part of local history: ranching and production represent different themes, reflected in the towns, buildings, and historic markers.
An important moment in drilling history was the discovery of the Winkler County Discovery Well: on September 3, 1926, around midnight, the well brought up oil and rock in large surges. Kermit’s Pioneer Park is also home to the Moorhead Cable Tool Rig, considered the last wooden oil derrick in the United States to have ceased daily use. Kermit’s Oldest Home, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, is also located in Pioneer Park.
Kermit’s Community Church was dedicated in 1938; it was the town’s first brick building. Designed by David Castle, the four-story Winkler County Courthouse is in the Classical Revival and Beaux-Arts styles. Those interested in historic architecture can view the two buildings as distinct examples of local architectural history. A historic marker for Winkler County is located in the County Park on S. East Ave., on the east side between Tommy Thompson and Cecil Ave., along a footpath.
More Traces and Practical Information
Old Duval Townsite opened on March 19, 1910, with free lots, a picnic, and a cowboy tournament. Nearby, the first post office in what was then Winkler County opened in 1908 on John Howe’s ranch. At that time, the county was still part of Tom Green County. An Apache trail ran through Winkler County from Monument Springs in New Mexico toward Shafter Lake in what is now Andrews County; the historic route is of interest here as part of the region’s history.
Kermit’s musical history is also part of the story. Roy Orbison formed the band Wink Westerners with friends while he was in school. The band played at local honky-tonks and had a weekly radio show on KERB in Kermit. The Roy Orbison Museum in Wink is dedicated to the musician, who lived there as a child and performed with various country-western bands in the 1950s. If you are planning a visit, check in advance for visitor information.
Two specific details can also help you find your way around: Winkler County Airport has a paved runway 4,502 feet long and is about three miles from Wink. Winkler County Golf Course is seven miles west of Kermit on Highway 302; check operating details before you go. For your accommodation search, you can use Winkler County as a starting point for your own choices and focus on the subjects that interest you most.
Discover more destinations: Kermit, Hays, Montague, Haskell County, Jasper County, Nolan, Wise, Mclennan.
For the broader travel overview: Texas.
