In 1941, Dr. Joe Sanders bought a 5000 acre working ranch bordering the east side of the Devil's
River. Dr. Sanders was a general practitioner at the nearby town of Del Rio. In 1944, Dr. Sanders decided to create a desert
dude ranch which would include a clubhouse, swimming pool, boat docks, barn, stables and rock guest houses.
Work on the dude ranch came to a halt when Dr. Sanders was tragically killed in an automobile
accident in 1947. Mrs. Sanders, faced with her husband's death and raising two sons alone, leased the ranch for grazing. In
1970, Amistad dam was built, Lake Amistad was filled, and the Eastern Corporation bought the resort, finished the buildings,
and established the property as a community center for its employees. Within a few years, the Eastern Corporation filed bankruptcy
and Dr. Sanders' sons regained ownership of the property.
In 1977, Jim and Betty Sanders established Laguna Diablo. The resort has been operating under
the Sanders name ever since. In 1991, Jim and Betty's daughter Sarah, and husband Allen Maxwell, moved back to Del Rio to
manage the resort.
Since then, the Sanders have opened a "must see" attraction in downtown Del Rio. The Emporium
is an old fashioned soda fountain and gift shop with gourmet coffee and tea and many scrapbooking supplies. They are known
for serving the best ice cream sodas this side of the Pecos River!
