Pyote Air Force Base
former World War II US Army Air Forces training airbase in Ward County, Texas, United States
Pyote Air Force Base was a World War II United States Army Air Forces training airbase. It was on 2,745 acres (1,111 ha) a mile from the town of Pyote, Texas, on U.S. Highway 80, 20 miles west of Monahans,` 230 miles (370 km) east of El Paso.
It was nicknamed "Rattlesnake Bomber Base" for the numerous rattlesnake dens that were uncovered during its construction.
At the height of its use in 1944, the base had over 6,000 officers and enlisted men, either permanently assigned or temporarily attached. In addition, hundreds of civilians came from all over the United States to work on the base.
After World War II, thousands of reserve aircraft were stored there, one of which was the B-29 Enola Gay.
Today, most of the base is gone. Other than the concrete runways, taxiways, and ramp, virtually nothing remains that would tell the casual observer that this was once a major training center responsible for turning out highly trained flying crews. In later years, the West Texas State School was situated on the site; it was closed in 2010. Located on I-20 at exit 66.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Pyote Air Force Base” as former World War II US Army Air Forces training airbase in Ward County, Texas, United States. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as former World War II US Army Air Forces training airbase in Ward County, Texas, United States. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7263155. Authority coordinates are 31.511, -103.142. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1944 and 2010.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Pyote Air Force Base”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Pyote Air Force Base primary sources, Pyote Air Force Base archive and Pyote research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Pyote Air Force Base”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Pyote Air Force Base” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.