Fort McKavett State Historic Site facts for kids
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Fort McKavett Historic District
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The parade grounds of Fort McKavett State Historic Site and restored officers' quarters
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 Fort McKavett Historic District
Location in Texas
Fort McKavett Historic District
Location in the United States
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| Location | Menard County, Texas |
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| Area | 82 acres (33 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000955 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 14, 1971 |
Fort McKavett State Historic Site is an old United States Army base in Menard County, Texas. It was first built in 1852. The fort was part of a chain of forts meant to protect people traveling to California.
The army left the fort in 1859, and settlers moved in. During the American Civil War (1861-1863), Confederate soldiers used it. After the war, the U.S. Army came back in the late 1860s. They rebuilt the fort. Sometimes, Buffalo Soldier regiments, which were all-African American, were stationed there. These included the 24th Infantry and 9th Cavalry.
The army left Fort McKavett for good in June 1883. Civilians moved in again, turning the buildings into homes and shops. A town called Fort McKavett, Texas grew around the fort. By the late 1920s, the town started to shrink. It became a ghost town by the end of the 1900s. People began working to save the fort in 1968. On July 14, 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the state of Texas manages Fort McKavett as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark.
Fort McKavett: A Military Outpost
Fort McKavett was built when many Americans were moving into Texas. This started in the 1820s. Europeans first explored the San Saba River valley in the 1600s. Later, different Native American groups, like the Apache and Comanche people, lived there.
From 1757 to 1768, the Spanish had a fort called Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas in the valley. But they later left the area. In 1849, the valley became important again. A Captain William H.C. Whiting found a good trail through central Texas. This trail followed the San Saba and Concho Rivers.
Texas joined the United States of America in 1845. This led to the Mexican-American War in 1846. The U.S. won the war and gained new lands in the Southwestern United States. In 1848, gold was found in California. Many people began traveling west through Texas. To keep them safe, the US Army built a line of forts in Texas.
In 1851, Colonel Persifor Frazer Smith ordered a second line of forts to be built further west. Fort McKavett was one of these new forts. Others included Belknap, Chadbourne, and Mason. These forts were built between 1851 and 1852. They were placed along the important trails through Texas.
First Time the Army Lived Here (1852–1859)
On November 16, 1851, General Smith told the 8th Infantry Regiment to set up a post on the San Saba River. The soldiers arrived on March 14, 1852. They first camped near a pond. In May, they moved about 2 miles (3.2 km) downriver. They settled on a high bluff on the south bank of the river.
At first, the camp was called "Camp near Fort Mason." Then it became "Camp San Saba." In October 1852, it was named Camp McKavett. This was in honor of an officer who died in a battle in 1846. It became a full fort in 1853. In 1855, the army leased the land for 20 years.
Building the fort started after the land lease was signed. It went quickly because there was plenty of stone and wood nearby. By the end of the first year, the fort had five barracks (places for soldiers to sleep). It also had a hospital and several kitchens. Most early buildings were made of wood and earth. By 1856, the fort had 21 stone buildings. The stone came from quarries close to the fort. For a while, the buildings had no floors, doors, or glass windows. These items had to be brought from Fredericksburg, about 100 miles (160 km) away.
The 8th Infantry left Fort McKavett on January 26, 1854. The 2nd Dragoons Regiment took their place. Then, the 1st Infantry Regiment arrived in 1855. On March 22, 1859, the U.S. Army decided to close the fort. Fort McKavett was in a very remote area. This made it hard to get supplies and send messages. Also, the soldiers, mostly infantry, struggled to stop attacks from horse-riding Native American groups.
During the Civil War (1861–1865)
In early 1861, Texas decided to leave the United States. It demanded that all U.S. Army posts in Texas surrender. The U.S. commander, Major General David E. Twiggs, ordered all federal troops to leave Texas.
The Confederate government then put Benjamin McCulloch in charge of defending the Texas frontier. His brother, Henry, took on the task. He gathered ten companies of soldiers. They moved into the empty U.S. Army forts. This created a defense line about 400 miles (640 km) long.
After a calm period, Confederate forces found it hard to defend the frontier. White settlements moved further east during the American Civil War. In November 1863, all Confederate troops on the frontier were sent to fight elsewhere. This left only civilian groups to defend the Texas settlements.
The Army Returns (1868–1883)
The Civil War ended in Texas on June 2, 1865. The U.S. Army returned on June 19, 1865. Frontier settlers asked for protection from the army. These requests were not answered until November 1866. That's when federal troops started coming back to the frontier. In December 1866, the 4th Cavalry Regiment was ordered to reoccupy several forts, including Fort McKavett.
On April 1, 1868, Company A of the 4th Cavalry arrived at Fort McKavett. They found almost all the buildings in ruins. Only the original commander's house was still standing. The soldiers had to live in tents and temporary wooden shelters. Later that month, more soldiers joined them.
On March 15, 1869, Major General Ranald S. Mackenzie arrived. He brought companies from the 9th Cavalry Regiment. These soldiers replaced the 4th Cavalry. The 9th Cavalry and the 38th Infantry Regiment (which later became the 24th Infantry Regiment) were "Buffalo Soldier" regiments. These were all-black regiments of the U.S. Army.
From 1869 to 1871, the soldiers rebuilt Fort McKavett. They also started regular patrols to find Native American groups. However, they rarely found any fighting groups.
In October 1870, Mackenzie left Fort McKavett. William Rufus Shafter took command. In May 1871, William Tecumseh Sherman, the top general of the U.S. Army, visited the Texas frontier. He saw Fort McKavett. After his visit, Sherman ordered more aggressive actions against the Plains Nations.
Mackenzie then led campaigns to push the Plains Nations out of the Texas Panhandle. By mid-1875, the Comanche, Kiowa, and southern Cheyenne peoples were moved onto reservations. This happened after they were defeated in the Red River War. Fort McKavett's soldiers helped in these conflicts. By 1878, the fort was no longer as important. The 10th Cavalry left the fort. In 1880, the U.S. Army decided to close Fort McKavett again. It was officially closed on June 30, 1883. The 16th Infantry Regiment was the last unit to leave.
The Town of Fort McKavett
Soon after Fort McKavett was built in the 1850s, a small town grew up about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of it. It was first called Lehnesburg, but people knew it as Scabtown. When the fort closed in 1859, most people left Scabtown. Those who stayed, like the Robinson family, moved into the fort's empty buildings.
When the U.S. Army returned to Fort McKavett, Scabtown also came back. It was rebuilt across the river from the fort. It had places like saloons that served the soldiers. The soldiers, many of whom were African American, sometimes faced unfair treatment from some local people.
When Fort McKavett closed for good in 1883, civilians moved in again. They turned the fort's buildings into homes and businesses. These businesses served local cattle and sheep ranchers. The townspeople stopped using the name Scabtown and started calling their town Fort McKavett. The town slowly grew, reaching about 150 residents in the late 1920s. After that, its population began to shrink. By 2000, only 15 people lived in Fort McKavett.
Saving Fort McKavett
Work to restore the fort began in 1967. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department bought several of its buildings. They created the Fort McKavett State Historic Site. In June and July 1969, archaeologists dug at the site. They looked for lost parts of the fort. Restoration continued for the rest of the 1900s. By 1990, 17 buildings had been restored.
Fort McKavett was suggested for the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1969. It was officially added on July 14, 1971. On January 1, 2008, the Texas Historical Commission took over managing Fort McKavett. As of October 1, 2016, the Fort McKavett State Historic Site covers 82 acres (33 ha).
The fort has received three Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks. One was in 1936 for the fort's site. Another was in 1963 for its use by the Confederacy. The third was in 1968 for the Sentry Building.
Images for kids
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Ruins of the commanding officer's residence
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The headquarters building
See also
