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Established in the 19th century, La Morita Ranch was the third ranch established in Presidio County by Milton Faver. A native of the midwestern United States, Faver had moved to Presidio del Norte in the 1850s, where he operated a mercantile store and a freighting business on the Chihuahua Trail. He moved his family to Presidio County by 1857, bought land and established his headquarters ranch on Cibolo Creek. By the 1870s Faver's ranching operations extended over thousands of acres. He recorded title to land along Las Moras Creek in October 1880 (probably well after his occupation of the site) and it became the headquarters for his large sheep and goat raising operations. Abundant springs at La Morita provided a steady source of water, and Faver had a system of pools and ditches constructed to divert the water for his ranching needs. Also built at La Morita were stone fences, corrals, and pens, as well as dwellings using traditional adobe building methods. In September 1889 Faver turned over operation of La Morita to George Dawson, the husband of his wife's niece, Juliana. Three months later, just days before his death, Faver deeded the property to Juliana Dawson. It remained in the Dawson family until 1966. (1995) |
