Big Bend Real Estate Guide November 2023 | Page 2

THE FORGOTTON GHOST TOWN & LOST MINE of TERLINGUA

Cistern
Mine
Ghost town
Jail
On the western edge of Terlingua , fi 昀 een minutes from the runway at Lajitas Interna 琀 onal Airport and Golf Resort , completely concealed only a mile off State Hwy . 170 , a most drama 琀 c and historic Big Bend hideout with some 20 buildings and a huge mine and cavern network is now on the market .
Villa de La Mina was a working mining town in the early 1900 ’ s , complete with a jail , feed & grain store , dynamite shack and can 琀 na . In the 60 ’ s it became a guesthouse for adventurous tourists & hunters , and was a hang out for Carroll Shelby of Ford Mustang fame along with his racing buddies . Most notably it was the home of the Interna 琀 onal Terlingua Chili Cook-off in the early years , and hosted the likes of Willie Nelson , Jerry Jeff Walker , Hondo Crouch , Gary P . Nunn , and a wild bunch of Chili enthusiasts .
The hundred-year-old fortress complex on 62 acres has about 20 standing buildings , each with rock walls and cement floors . The roofing needs work and the buildings need plumbing and electricity , but they ’ re mostly sound structurally . The genera 琀 ons of master masonry all over this property cannot be understated . All structures on the property are made from local rock . If you wanted to build something like that today , it would likely be in the millions of dollars just to do the rock , concrete and earthwork .
The mine with an extensive network of sha 昀 s is also a large subterranean cavern . In the right crea 琀 ve hands , it would make an ideal place for a residence , health spa , gro 琀 o bar , wine cellar or bomb shelter .
Villa de La Mina is most likely des 琀 ned to become an upscale family compound or bou 琀 que hotel in this rapidly growing tourist area .

$ 1,950,000

Your Alpine Connection

BROKER ASSOCIATE • stevie3249 @ gmail . com www . LimpiaRealty . com • www . StevieTheGuide . com
Mine entrance

Steve Dyer

( 432 ) 294-4138

2 Big Bend Real Estate Guide • November 2023