There’s a good chance travelers on the Silk Route weren’t always loved by the people and places they encountered, and some of the locals must have had reservations about these travelers, especially those who put down roots. However, boy howdy, they did love those spices. Cuisine would never be the same. So what’s happening in Marfa most likely isn’t new, perhaps real or imagined newcomer vs. local mentality. Sometimes things happen beyond our control. Droughts out here have brought change every time, and not without loss—and having to figure out how to pull up one’s socks and walk on. Ask ranchers who grew vegetable crops, and those who raised sheep way back when and now cattle. Things change, people move around, and the world mostly adapts as it’s always a mix.
I watched many years ago as a traditional fishing and farming economy on an island made the transition to a tourist economy. When overfishing and government regulations ended generations of family fishing, disbelief and heartbreak were everywhere. When the children of generations of farmers could no longer afford the taxes, much land was lost to development. Newcomers and old-timers sprung into action, their efforts along with conservationists led to creative legislation that was responsible for saving much of the character of the place, however there was no putting the genie back in the bottle. Fishing boats rusted at the dock, and younger generations set out for new lands and jobs off island.
The late Cecilia Thompson, who grew up in Fort Davis and no longer drives erratically among us, told me she was thrilled when Donald Judd and his friends showed up and brought some life to a dying town that was boarded up and blowing away. The town is presently quite vibrant in spite of how challenging it is to be a business owner out here. People come from all over the world, and it keeps the economy afloat, even if it’s commonly taking on water and complaints about the visitors abound. There are jobs. Highland Avenue is actually vibrant, which was not the case when I arrived here. It was an empty stretch, no parking stripes and no cars.
When I landed on the island, there was a wave of us in our early 20s, and we added color, shall we say, and lots of labor to every random cause and business. It was a heady time, and as I got to know the old-timers, there was no question that none of us were as eccentric, adventuresome and intelligent as the generation that came before us. So much history and understanding were lost with each person’s passing, just as in Marfa. Favorite people pass, we mourn, however no one is to blame, change comes in many forms, and we are each charged with continuing the traditions we value.
I keep seeing posts on local social media suggesting anyone who has a concern or complaint should go back to where they came from or at least leave Marfa. Some of those raised here would prefer to keep Marfa as it was. I raise an eyebrow at that. We are a mobile society, and that’s one of the really good things about this country. People are free to move around and bring new ideas with them, and for the very lucky, spices. Understandably, conflicts can arise, however people from Marfa are also free to seek out different situations, climates and experiences. It’s a benefit of living in the states. Not everyone is happy where they were born, people historically like to explore, and some of them have come here. Think of it as the Dust Route, Musicians Route, Seekers Route, Art Foundation Route, you name it, people looking to see what Marfa, desert environs and her people offer, I among them.
About 16 years ago when the city was driving around spraying Roundup, I presented then Mayor Dan Dunlap and city administrator Jim Mustard with information of the known dangers, including leukemia in children and connection to cancer. The other point I stressed being that Marfa, as a burgeoning tourist economy, couldn’t be a town looking half brown and dead, with sprayed weeds all over every street and neighborhood. It was not a good look. I feel the same about the proposed AEP installation. Like it or not, Marfa is now a tourist economy, and it needs to look the part. Some old belly-up former rusting mill town it’s not, however it could look like it without consideration and thought about what makes a community a place people want to visit, put down roots, form bonds with others and invest in.
Patrick Chavira told me the present site of the AEP substation was put there to accommodate the long-ago electrical demands of the Ice Plant. Clearly that’s no longer the case, and I would love to see AEP remove that substation and include its output in the new location outside city limits where none of the nearby property owners will lose the value of their homes, experience the health concerns, and our town can look even more like a great, small town that cares about those who live here.
We can all work together to help Marfa be the home longtime residents want to preserve as well as make accommodations for some new ideas and guidelines to ensure Marfa thrives.
Helping bees, birds and butterflies, nurturing food sources, creating and respecting our natural resources could easily be a joint effort. Apparently there are still people among us who don’t know the difference between a native wildflower and a weed — evidenced by TxDOT doing a hack job on the Scarlet Gaura I planted specifically for the bees. The bees showed up daily, and I now miss their presence. It felt good to have them respond to my efforts.
The recent rains brought the most beautiful and lush garden of wildflowers and native grasses (plus goatheads) all along the roadside on 2810. It was the most extravagant explosion of color and fragrance in all the years I’ve lived here. I have more than once requested TxDOT not mow out there until the flowers have gone to seed, or at least until the butterfly and bird migrations pass through. Every year they mow right before the migrations begin. Bird, bee and butterfly populations are collapsing. Without them we are at a loss for pollination and food. Obviously not everyone knows or cares. Education could save so many species struggling to hang on. We can all at least help with providing food and water for migrating species. The migration is full on at the moment. There’s a nationwide push to stop mowing ditches and roadsides to preserve habitats, and preserving the plant life along 2810 could go a long way in helping those species that pass through. Like the tourists, the birds and butterflies need to feel welcome, have the nourishment to continue on and return next year.
Or how ‘bout this? Marfa has a noise ordinance, and it would be great if the trains that blast through town at all hours of the night are forced to respect that. Slower passage would also lessen the chance of derailment. A toxic spill in the center of town would be a nightmare none of us want to live through, and they do happen. The recent uncoupling when the knuckles broke on a couple of freight cars blocked all the crossings in town for five hours. That was only inconvenient, however it does give one pause. We have functional warnings at the crossings, and trains have lights and make plenty of noise even without the whistle. It’s worth considering at least slowing the trains down and respecting our noise ordinance. .
I’m reminding myself of the couple that moved to the center of a small, rural western Massachusetts town that had a clock that chimed on the hour, 24 hours a day. They sued the town to stop the clock. We all laughed, as they knew that hourly notice rang out across the farmland when they bought the property. Luckily I have a sense of humor and see that this issue is not a hill to die on, however it might be a relief. I could live if the engineers gave a short blast, however the ones who lay on the horn from city limit to city limit are seemingly intentionally disruptive. I was told the main offender had a Marfa girlfriend, and when she broke up with him, this blast from outer space started. That’s not keeping anyone safer; it just gives more fuel to the barking and howling dogs of Marfa.
The railroad also sprays pesticide all along the tracks, basically from what looks like a fire hose. I used to live across the street from the tracks with an unobstructed view and knew when this happened. Every time, right after they sprayed, a huge number of people would get sick in town. I heard it over and over at the post office: “The whole town has the flu.” After the railroad sprayed, birds died too. Can I prove my anecdotal observations are true? Absolutely not, however I am good at putting two and two together, and paying attention pays off. Not long after I moved here I interrupted some of the railroad employees spraying the tracks in the middle of town. One of the guys told me they hate doing the spraying, however if anyone speaks up they get fired.
Legislation was just passed to give chemical companies protection from being sued for illness or injury from all chemical pesticides. The court cases are in the thousands, and the cancers connected to specific chemicals are known, and instead of helping those who are suffering, the corporations will no longer be liable. It’s something to consider. Some towns ban all pesticide use, or have restrictions that demand neighbors need to be notified far in advance if someone plans to use chemicals so they can relocate for a reasonable amount of time. Those same cities ban all pesticide use on municipal properties. Helping residents stay healthy — pretty basic.
I find Marfa to be a wonderful community that I care about and enjoy, in spite of my list of criticisms. I am learning about the border, the high desert and Hispanic culture, which I was ignorant of until living here. I’m grateful for the education.
When I was in my early 20s, visiting my parents in Kansas, my father asked me, “Are you going to be one of those little old ladies in sneakers with a cause?” Standing there in my miniskirt and fashionable shoes, the remark seemed impossibly weird and puzzling, enough so that I remember it even now. Perhaps he was a visionary, and if only he knew, it’s definitely more than one cause.