He built this mansion so his wife and children would be comfortable. They never lived there or even visited for very long. Seems it was difficult to share a vision of privilege in the desert heat and dust. What good is wealth unless you enjoy what it brings to your life?
People driving through Big Bend will probably not even notice Ocotillo in the landscape. Except in extreme rainy conditions they look like tall dead sticks blowing in the wind. Chances are the dead looking sticks are very much alive just waiting for a little moisture to bloom. Lots of desert plants are like that. The landscape is mostly barren until a rainstorm sweeps through. A few days later there are flowers but only where the rain fell. The desert is full of surprises.
Today the land is mostly empty. Sold and resold into larger parcels for factory farming or simply left fallow. A new generation of weekend gentleman ranchers has also returned to use the land for recreation. Unfortunately not in time to meet their neighbors at the general store.
It is tempting to romanticize the old Southwest. We should remember that people were not forced off the land. Instead they chose a better life for themselves with more opportunities for their children. These are simply the bleached bones left behind by progress.