MANY STONES |
Many Stones, owned by Ring Huggins, is one of the most unique and interesting rock and gift shops in the western United States. We can now boast the largest variety of cut and polished lapidary material in far west Texas.
Many Stones is located on Texas Highway 118 eighty miles south of Alpine at Study Butte, only two miles from the northern entrance to Big Bend National Park, the most remote federal park in the contiguous United States. Our area is the Historic Terlingua Mining District known for Mercury production from the late 1800 hundreds up to the end of WWII with a resurgence in the mid 60's lasting only until about the early 1970's. Ring actually worked part-time as a hard rock miner in the mid 1960's helping reopen a few of the mines. He was also one of the first Rio Grand River guides as early as 1965 for both Rio Grand Float Trips and Villa de La Mina.
Please Note: We accept cash and checks only. We cannot process credit/debit cards.
Ring had a rock shop in Kaslo, B.C. for thirty years and also taught adult education on remote Native Reserves on the B.C. North Coast and in the Northwest Territory. His art has been strongly influenced by his Native experiences. The name "Many Stones" was inspired while Ring was teaching at Fort Leard in the N.W.T. in the early 90's. Ring took some lapidary equipment with him that year for something to do on weekends and always showed stones he had polished to the local Natives. Native peoples are big on nicknames and his nickname with the Dene became "Many Stones", hence the inspiration for the shop name.
Ring's decision to return to his roots in far west Texas was a long considered one since moving a thirty-year rock collection two thousand miles is no easy matter. He purchased a dilapidated old gas station at Study Butte, Texas and has been in the process of converting it into a rock and gift shop for over twenty years.
Huggins is also a potter and offers classes in various forms of pottery. Among his other crafts for sale in the shop are his hand painted skulls, drums, hubcaps, and leather crafts. Ring also keeps a flock of chickens and sells eggs.
In 2004 Huggins began buying, and has developed a reputation for having a wonderful variety of both native and exotic Cacti.
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During a visit to Many Stones you may also enjoy a tour of Ring's garden displaying many indigenous plants and a veggie garden watered by a roof catchment system.
If you are considering a visit to the Big Bend and more information about the area please e-mail Ring and he will respond.
Many Stones is a really interesting place to visit. Y'all come see us.