Wilson, Homer, Ranch
a.k.a. Blue Creek Ranch (Oak Canyon)
8 mi. S of Santa Elena Junction on Park Rte. 5, Big Bend National Park, Santa Elena Junction, TXThe Big Bend country is considered to be "the last outpost of large-scale ranching in Texas. " "The Oak Canyon-Blue Creek Ranch of Homer Wilson was, without doubt, the best example of ranching within what is now the Big Bend National Park." "While Oak Canyon remained headquarters for the entire period of their operation, Blue Creek and the Blue Creek area became the heart of the ranch and its productive activity."
Homer Wilson was born in Del Rio, Texas, in 1892, studied mining and petroleum engineering at Missouri School of Mines served in Europe during World War I, and returned to the Rio Grande country after the war. In 1929 he purchased ranch land west of the Chisos Mountains, and ultimately expanded his holding to include 44 sections to operate this vast tract he established his home and headquarters at Oak Springs. Later he moved part of his operations to Blue Creek. Wilson developed the ranch and raised his family there during the years up to 1943 when he died suddenly. In 1942 he had deeded the land to the State of Texas during the early days of parkland acquisition. The family moved from the ranch by the agreed deadline of January 1, 1945. As one of the largest ranches in the Big Bend area, the Wilson Ranch has local significance. Its structures along with the natural setting provide opportunities to interpret twentieth-century ranch life in this area.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.