Fort Griffin | |
 Fort Griffin State Historic Site in 2009 | |
  Fort Griffin  Fort Griffin | |
| Nearest city | Albany, Texas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 32°55′38″N99°13′56″W / 32.92722°N 99.23222°W /32.92722; -99.23222 |
| Area | 204.6 acres (82.8 ha) |
| Built | 1867 (1867) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000962[1] |
| TSAL No. | 8200000559 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 11, 1971 |
| Designated TSHS | December 21, 1935 |
| Designated TSAL | January 1, 1983 |
Fort Griffin, now aTexas state historic site asFort Griffin State Historic Site, was aUS Cavalryfort established 31 July 1867 by four companies of theSixth Cavalry, U.S. Army[2] under the command of Lt. Col.S. D. Sturgis,[3]: 64 in the western part ofNorth Texas, specifically northwesternShackelford County, to givesettlers protection from earlyComanche andKiowa raids. Originally called Camp Wilson after Henry Hamilton Wilson, a recently deceased lieutenant and son of Republican senator and later vice president,Henry Wilson, it was later named forCharles Griffin, a formerCivil WarUnion general who had commanded, as de facto military governor, the Department of Texas during the early years ofReconstruction.[3]: 65
Other forts in the southwestern frontier fort system wereLancaster,Richardson,Concho,Belknap,Chadbourne,Stockton,Davis,Bliss,McKavett,Clark,McIntosh,Inge, andPhantom Hill in Texas, andFort Sill inOklahoma.[4] There were "sub posts or intermediate stations" including Bothwick's Station on Salt Creek between Fort Richardson and Fort Belknap, Camp Wichita, near Buffalo Springs between Fort Richardson andRed River Station, and Mountain Pass between Fort Concho and Fort Griffin.[2]
The original intent was to build permanent stone buildings, but throughout its 14-year existence, the fort retained a temporary appearance. Log houses called “picket” huts, tents, and rough frame structures were constructed as temporary shelter. The scarcity of materials, shortage of funds, and daily demands of military duty allowed for only six of the more than 90 buildings of the fort to be built completely of stone.[5]
Although considerable time was spent building and maintaining the fort, the majority of the time was spent defending and patrolling the frontier. Capt.Adna Chaffee fought the Comanche in a successful engagement in March 1868.[3]: 74 Companies F, I, K, and L of the Sixth Cavalry were augmented when Lt. Col. S.B. Hayman's 17th Infantry arrived on 3 June 1868.[3]: 30
The fort served as a starting point for many expeditions headed westward, and for a time, it had a substantial settled community that built up around it, catering to passingwagon trains and military personnel who soughtsaloons for entertainment during their free or off-duty hours. It is northeast ofAbilene (established after 1880), the seat ofTaylor County.
By 1870, a very rough town called "The flat" sprang up just north of Fort Griffin, which eventually became a stop-off point for cattle drives headed north toDodge City, Kansas. During that time, several notable characters andgunfighters of theOld West drifted through, includingWyatt Earp,Doc Holliday,Dave Rudabaugh,Pat Garrett known for killing outlawWilliam Bonney (better known as "Billy the Kid") and the brothersBat andJim Masterson.John Selman, who eventually became known for killing outlawJohn Wesley Hardin, worked there and in surrounding counties as adeputy sheriff.
GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman andInspector GeneralRandolph B. Marcy visited the fort on 15 May 1871.[3]: 79
Following theRed River War of 1874, the Comanche and Kiowa threat on theprairies waned, and rapid settlement by ranchers and farmer put Fort Griffin squarely in the settled area.[3]: 197 Capt. j.B. Irvine, commanding Company A, Twenty-Second Infantry lowered the flag for the last time and marched toFort Clark on 31 May 1879.[2][3]: 197
The opening scenes of the 1957 movieGunfight at the O.K.Corral, in whichDoc Holliday kills a man in a saloon fight whileWyatt Earp looks on, take place in Fort Griffin.
Fort Griffin is the setting of the final scene in Cormac McCarthy's 1985 novelBlood Meridian. It is portrayed as a center of prostitution and violence.[6]
On January 1, 2008, Fort Griffin was transferred from theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department to theTexas Historical Commission.
During the last two weekends of June, theFort Griffin Fandangle, a Westernmusical production, is presented by residents of Albany in the Prairie Theater. The program, the content of which is changed each year, began in 1938 and is billed as "Texas' Oldest Outdoor Musical". In addition, a portion of the official state herd of TexasLonghorns is maintained at Fort Griffin.
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to theKöppen climate classification system, Fort Griffin has ahumid subtropical climate,Cfa on climate maps.[7]
Municipalities and communities ofShackelford County, Texas,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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