Editing Langtry, Texas (section)

==History==
Langtry was originally established in 1882 by the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]] as a [[Land grading|grading]] camp called Eagle Nest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Langtry |url=https://texastimetravel.com/cities/langtry/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Texas Time Travel |language=en-US}}</ref> It was later renamed for George Langtry, an engineer and foreman, who supervised the immigrant Chinese work crews building the railroad in the area.

Roy Bean arrived soon after completion of the railroad, and set up a tent [[Western saloon|saloon]] on company land. He later built a wooden structure for his saloon, which he called The Jersey Lilly after the well-known British actress [[Lillie Langtry]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Langtry |url=https://texastimetravel.com/cities/langtry/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Texas Time Travel |language=en-US}}</ref> She was a native of the island of [[Jersey]]. (Née Le Breton, Langtry was her married name, and she was not related to George Langtry.) Bean used the saloon as his headquarters when authorized as a [[justice of the peace]] and notary public. He called himself the "Law West of the [[Pecos River|Pecos]]". After a notable career as justice of the peace, Bean died in 1903.

In 1884, the town was authorized a post office. In 1892, it had a general store, a [[railroad depot]], and two saloons. Langtry began to decline after the highway was moved slightly north in the early 1900s for a more direct east-west route. Once bypassed, the town's businesses lost revenue and jobs. In the 1920s, Southern Pacific moved its facilities away, more jobs were lost, and the town population dwindled to 50.

By the 1970s, its population dipped as low as 40. Tourism to the [[Judge Roy Bean]] Visitor Center continues to keep the town alive.