Shafter, Texas, a former silver mining town located along the eastern edge of the Chinati Mountains, is the focus of an ambitious revitalization effort led by billionaire John Poindexter. Once a bustling community centered around the Presidio Mine—the source of more than 90 percent of Texas’s silver—the town has dwindled to about two dozen residents following the mine’s closure in 1942 due to declining ore quality, flooded shafts, and a wartime labor shortage.
Poindexter, an 81-year-old Houston native and veteran, owns roughly one-fifth of Shafter’s town center and envisions transforming the area into a living history museum and resort. His plans include restoring key structures such as a saloon, post office, and general store, along with a dozen adobe residences that would be available for rental. The project is funded through the Tidewater and Big Bend Foundation, a nonprofit entity established by Poindexter to eventually transfer ownership of his vast holdings—including the 30,000-acre Cibolo Creek Ranch where Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died in 2016.
During a gathering over Labor Day weekend, approximately 200 visitors—including local officials, two state legislators, a prominent Houston defense attorney, and a delegation from Ojinaga, Mexico—were invited to tour Shafter and learn about the revitalization efforts. While expressing a desire to honor Texas’s heritage, Poindexter emphasized the educational aspect of the project, remarking on society’s neglect of its historical roots.
Though Poindexter has conservative political leanings and generally votes Republican, he has voiced criticism of some prevailing political stances, most notably his opposition to the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Ken Paxton. Poindexter also opposes federal border wall construction within the nearby Big Bend National Park and an Australian company’s plan to reopen mining operations in Shafter.
The latter two developments are generating controversy in the region. Federal contractors have begun preliminary work on a border patrol road and vehicle barriers inside Big Bend National Park, despite local law enforcement concerns and public opposition. These efforts have been paused to allow for additional public input. Concurrently, Black Bear Minerals, an Australian mining firm, is preparing to restart extraction activities at the Shafter mine, which had last operated briefly in 2013.
Significant voices at the event included State Senator Roland Gutierrez and State Representative Eddie Morales, both Democrats representing the border region, as well as former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. Discussions touched on the preservation of cultural heritage and the region’s future amid ongoing border security initiatives.
Prominent Houston attorney Dick DeGuerin, known for his defense work in high-profile cases including the Branch Davidian siege and the impeachment trial of Paxton, also attended. DeGuerin has been involved in legal efforts challenging border construction in Big Bend on behalf of Native American groups and outdoor recreation organizations. He maintains a long-standing friendship with Poindexter, dating back to the opening of Cibolo Creek Ranch in the mid-1990s.
Despite differing political viewpoints, Poindexter and his associates represent a segment of West Texas that blends traditional cowboy conservatism with skepticism toward current Republican politics and federal border policies. The Shafter revitalization project stands as part of a broader local effort to preserve the region’s heritage while navigating the complexities of modern development and border security.