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Culberson County was established in 1911 from El Paso County and named after Rep. David B. Culberson. The county was organized in 1912. Van Horn became the county seat.
With the opening of the railways, ranchers began to settle in the county. Lobo was settled in part due to misrepresentation by promoters. A class-action lawsuit by the residents forced the promoters to build the Lobo Hotel. Unfortunately, the area was struck by two powerful earthquakes[25] - one in 1929, and the 6.0 quake near Valentine that was felt as far away as Dallas. The hotel was destroyed.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park was established in 1972. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1966 legislation to create the park. Stipulation was made that all mineral, oil, and gas rights had to be ceded to the federal government.
Blue Origin, the space vehicle development company founded by Jeff Bezos, maintains a suborbital launch site about 25 miles north of Van Horn, Texas.