Old West Forts and Towns in Texas

The Alamo: An Illustrated Chronology (See photo to the right)

Fort Belknap, Texas: On the Butterfield Stage Route Fort Belknap played an important part in defending the frontier. Seven original buildings are restored; two are small museums, and a third houses the county archives.

Fort Belknap, TX On June 14, 1851, Camp Belknap was founded. Within two years, as Headquarters of the Fifth Infantry, Fort Belknap was the busy hub of what would become Young County.

Fort Blair, Tx Just an historical marker remains of this "family fort," established in 1857 by C. C. Blair, to defend themselves and their belongings from the frequent Indian raids. The settlement consisted of twelve log cabins.

Fort Chadbourne Established in late autumn of 1852 in Coke County, Texas. Comanches visited the fort occasionally, even the kidnapped Cynthia Ann Parker disguising her Anglo features, the mother of the famous war chief, Quanah Parker.

Fort Clark, Texas Historic Home of The Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts

Fort Clark Located at the headwaters of Las Moras Creek in Texas, the spring, named "The Mulberries" by Spanish explorers was a site long favored as camp grounds for Comanche, Mescalero, Lipan, and other Indians.

Fort Concho National Historic Landmark, Texas An Army Frontier Post from 1867 to 1889

Fort Concho National Landmark Fort Concho was founded in 1867 at the junction of the North and Middle Concho Rivers to protect frontier settlements and transportation routes.

Fort Crockett, Texas Fort Crockett was located along the seawall of Galveston Island. Fortifications were initially constructed at the turn of the century as part of the Endicott fortification plan.

Fort Croghan One of the early posts established in Texas to secure the expanding frontier line against Indian raids, Fort Croghan was founded in mid March of 1849 just to the southeast of San Saba County on Post Mountain near Hamilton's Creek.

Fort Davis National Historic Site Protected travelers, mail coaches, freighters, and settlers along the San Antonio - El Paso Road

Fort Davis Established as a military post in 1854 in Texas, it was named after the then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis.

Fort Davis, TX A key post in West Texas, soldiers from Fort Davis assisted in opening the area to settlement and protected travelers and merchants along the San Antonio-El Paso Road from 1854 to 1891.

Goodnight, Texas Goodnight is at the edge of the Llano Estacado on U.S. Highway 287 in northeastern Armstrong County, Texas. It was named for Charles Goodnight, of the Goodnight-Loving Trail, who settled on a ranch near the site.

Fort Griffin, TX Established as part of a new line of defense in 1867, in response to outcries from settlers for more frontier protection during the federal reoccupation of Texas after the Civil War.

Fort Griffin, Texas Fort Griffin once held command of the southern plains, saw the end of both the great herds of buffalo and those who hunted them, and was home to a rugged group of men. The fort was constructed in 1867 and deactivated in 1881.

Fort Lancaster, Tx Established in 1855, it was surrendered to Texans in 1861 and abandoned as a post in 1867.

Fort Mason, Tx Established early in July of 1851, Fort Mason eventually comprised 23 permanent buildings and served as the last official U. S. field command for Robert E. Lee prior to the beginning of the Civil War.

Fort McKavett Established by five companies of the Eighth Infantry in March of 1852 to protect frontier settlers and travelers on Upper El Paso Road.

Fort Phantom Hill, Abilene, TX Although "Fort Phantom Hill" sounds like the quintessential name for a outpost on the wild plains of Texas in the mid 1800s, the fort actually never received a legal name. This fort was built in late 1851, not only with no official name, but also at the wrong intended location.

Fort Richardson, TX Established in 1866, it was near Fort Richardson in 1871 that the wagon train massacre occurred that led to Colonel Ranald Mackenzie's campaign against the Kiowas, Comanches, and Kickapoos.

Fort Martin Scott, TX Established near Fredericksburg late in 1848 to guard the western frontier line.
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