Virtual Walking Tour
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The pioneers seeking grazing land in dry Sutton County needed a reliable source of water. In Nov. 1888, using
a horse powered rig, Charlie Adams started drilling on his hillside, uninhabited then, but now the courthouse lawn. Three months later the word
went out "Water in Sutton County!" A Perkins windmill pumped water from a depth of 190 feet to a storage tank. Long
watering troughs serviced the continuous stream of livestock as herders rotated their flocks on an appointment system. The well also satisfied the needs of Sonora's homes
and businesses for several years. This large live oak tree stood at the south west corner of the
Water Lot.
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The Sutton County Courthouse was designed by renowned Texas architect Oscar Ruffini of San Angelo. In 1891, when
construction began, Sutton County had been organized for one year, and Sonora was just two years old. Ruffini made the 140 mile round
trip from San Angelo by buggy or on horseback several times a month for nearly two years to oversee the work. As the largest structure in the county, the courthouse
served as a gathering place for town meetings, political rallies, weddings, dances, parties, school commencement exercises
and Fourth of July celebrations. Year after year, the county commissioners passed resolutions limiting the use of the building to official county affairs,
only to be overriden by local influence. Finally, realizing the resolutions were unenforceable, the court agreed that the courthouse
could be used for public amusement, thus making legal an already firmly rooted custom. A century later, the stately, red roofed limestone building still presides
over Sonora from the hillside at the head of Main Street and remains the busy hub of county business. Towering trees, that once watched only Indians pass by, shade the courthouse, and
serve as a roost for wild turkeys. Its well kept, welcoming grounds continue to be the scene of celebrations, fairs, contests, Christmas Tree lightings, and dinners on the lawn.
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