Terlingua's mercury mines drove Brewster County's early economy

Cinnabar ore is the mineral that mercury (also called quicksilver) comes from. Cinnabar was found in southwestern Brewster County in the 1880s. Chicago shoe manufacturer Howard Perry purchased land in Brewster County in 1887 and incorporated the Chisos Mining Company in 1903 after mercury was discovered there.

By the early 1920s, Terlingua produced roughly 40 percent of all the mercury mined in the United States. At its peak, the operation supported about 1,000 people. The company ran a commissary, employed a doctor, and operated a school.

The mines played out and markets weakened. The Chisos Mining Company filed for bankruptcy in October 1942. Operations stopped after World War II. Most people left. What remained became known as Terlingua Ghost Town. The ruins of the mine and company buildings are still visible today.

Terlingua is still a living community. It is small and remote, and its economy now depends on tourism and Big Bend National Park. The Texas Almanac covers the Chisos Mining Company's rise and fall. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas covers Brewster County's broader history.