Central Texas

Last Update: 06/JUNE/2009

Compiled by Phil and Pete Payette - Š2009 American Forts Network

Col. John Henry Moore's Fort
(1828 - 1840's), Round Top
A settlers' stockade with two blockhouses. Originally built in La Grange but it was later moved here for restoration. An American Legion Post (built 1994) now occupies the original site.

Zadoc Woods' Fort
(1828 - 1842), West Point
A fortified settlers house at Woods' Prairie used for protection against Indians. Site located 1.5 miles west of town. Woods was killed in 1842.

Fort Puesta del Colorado
(1805 - unknown), Bastrop
A Spanish fort built to protect the Colorado River crossing of the El Camino Real (King's Highway).

Fort Mina
(1825 - 1840's), near Bastrop
A settlers' town stockade for protection against Indians, located on the Colorado River at Alum Creek about seven miles east of town. This was part of Stephen Austin's second colony. The settlement was renamed Bastrop in 1837.

Camp Burleson
(1839), near Bastrop
A Texas Army post located a few miles downstream of town.

Josiah Wilbarger's Fort
(1832 - 1840's), Utley
A settlers' stockaded log cabin. Wilbarger died in 1844. Marker at site no longer exists (?).

John Webber's Fort
(1832 - 1840's), Webberville
A settlers' fortified home located on the north bank of the Colorado River at Webber's Prairie, about 15 miles east of Austin. Webber (a white) had a mixed-race family, was shunned by other white settlers and was forced to sell in 1853. A post office was established here in 1846. See also History of Webber's Prairie.

Reuben Hornsby's Fort
(1832 - 1840's), Austin
A settlers' fort located on the north bank of the Colorado River at Hornsby Bend just east of the city, south of Long Lake Metro Park. Also known as Hornsby's Station. The Hornsby Cemetery is at or near the site.

Camp Cazneau (1)
(1840), near Pilot Knob
A temporary Texas Army post on Onion Creek.

Fort Colorado
(1836 - 1838), near Austin
A Texas Ranger post located on the north bank of the Colorado River just west of Walnut Creek, seven miles east of downtown. Also called Fort Coleman and Fort Houston (2). Consisted of several log cabins enclosed by a stockade with two blockhouses in opposite corners. Marker located two and one-half miles northeast of the Montopolis Bridge.

Fort Prairie
(1880's - 1940 ?), near Austin
A small community and post office located five miles east of the city along the railroad. No known fort was here.

Camp Cooke (1)
(1841), Austin
An assembly camp for the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, located at the mouth of Waller Creek.

Fort Austin (1)
(1840 - 1841), Austin
The Texas Army fortified the capitol building during a civil crisis. The one-story frame capitol was set back from Congress Avenue on a hill at what is now the corner of Colorado and Eighth Streets.

Camp Lamar
(1839 - 1840), near Austin
A Texas Army camp. Location undetermined.

Camp McLeod
(1839 - 1840), near Austin
A Texas Army camp. Location undetermined.

Post of Austin (2)
(1848 - 1852, 1865 - 1875), Austin
Austin Arsenal (1845) was first located here (on West Ave. between 8th and 9th Streets). A second arsenal was built in the 1860's in an already existing 1850's era stone building (still standing) on 19th Street near Congress Ave.. The Federal infantry post, also called Camp Austin (1), was established in 1848 as a 236-foot square stockade on the north bank of the Colorado River. Regarrisoned by Union cavalry after the Civil War, the post moved one mile west in 1866 and was renamed Camp Sanders.

Camp Mabry (State Military Reservation)
(1892 - present), Austin
Originally a TX National Guard summer training camp, still used today by the Army Reserve and TX National Guard. Used as a muster site for state troops during the Spanish-American War (1898). Federalized in 1917 and 1941 for Army training and as a supply center. Became the headquarters of the TX National Guard in 1954. Of interest here is the Texas Military Forces Museum.

Austin Army Ground School
(1917 - 1919), Austin
An Army Ground School on the University of Texas campus.

Camp Slaughter (2)
(1864), near Austin
A CSA encampment near the Bryan Plantation. Location undetermined.

Camp Caldwell
(1839 - 1840), near Round Rock
A Texas Army post on the south bank of Brushy Creek east of town.

Thomas Kenney's Fort
(1839 - 1842), near Round Rock
A settlers' stockaded blockhouse with several log cabins, built for protection against Indians. Attacked by Comanche Indians in August 1840. Texas militia briefly occupied the fort in 1840 after the attack, renamed Fort Dunnington. Located on the south side of the confluence of Brushy Creek and Dyer's Creek, about 2.5 miles east of town. A monument (1936) is located one-half mile north of the actual site.

Camp Cazneau (2)
(1840 - 1841), near Round Rock
A Texas militia post located on the south bank of Brushy Creek about 2.5 miles east of town, at the "Double File Crossing", very close to Kenney's Fort. A monument was erected here in 1925.

John Tumlinson's (Jr.) Blockhouse
(1836), near Leander
A Texas Ranger post located at the head of Brushy Creek. Abandoned when news arrived that the Mexican Army invaded Texas. It was then afterwards burned by Indians. Marker located on US 183.

Camp San Gabriel
(1840), near Georgetown
A Texas Ranger camp located at the San Gabriel River crossing between Austin and Little River.

William Black's Fort
(1851 - 1868), near Bertram
A settlers' fortified stone house built for protection against Indians. Located about nine miles east of town on the South San Gabriel River. Monument (1936) at site.

Fort Croghan
(1849 - 1855), Burnet
Originally a Texas Ranger post known as McCulloch's Station was located here in 1849. The site then became a Federal Dragoon post called Post on Hamilton Creek. Originally located on the north bank of Hamilton Creek, it was moved three and one-half miles upstream to the south bank in 1849 and renamed Camp Croghan, but soon renamed again to Camp Hamilton (1). Renamed again in 1850. A restoration of several original log buildings and the post's parade ground are in a city park jointly operated by the Burnet County Heritage Society and the Burnet County Historical Commission. See also Handbook of Texas Online.

Presidio de San Xavier de Gigedo
(1751 - 1755), near Rockdale
Also known as Presidio de San Francisco Xavier. Located south of the San Gabriel (San Xavier) River, about five miles from town, built to protect the three Spanish missions established in the vicinity in 1747. Abandoned in 1755 for Presidio de San Sabá.

Fort Cameron
(1870), Cameron

Bryant Station
(1837 - 1840's), Buckholts
A fortified trading post established by Benjamin Bryant as a buffer between the Indians to the west and the white settlers to the east. Only a cemetery remains, located just north of town.

Childers' Settlement Station
(1840 - unknown), near Rogers
A settlers' fort and Texas Ranger post located on the north bank of the Little River about four miles southwest of town.

Little River Fort
(1836 - 1837, 1840 - 1841), Little River
A Texas Ranger stockaded log blockhouse and several cabins built for protection from Indians, located on the Leon River about one mile above the Lampasas River. Officially named Fort Smith (1) until 1837, but it was more commonly known after the settlement. The Rangers withdrew from the fort in 1837 but settlers, hunters, and adventurers continued to use it. It was regarrisoned in 1840. Sometime after it was abandoned again 1841, it was named Fort Griffin (1) after Moses Griffin, a settler who maintained the post for several years. All structures were later removed in the mid to late 1840's.

Camp Navarro
(1841), near Little River
A Texan Santa Fe Expedition assembly camp near the Little River Fort.

Camp Lynch
(1839 ?), San Saba County
A Texas Ranger post located on the west bank of the Colorado River below the mouth of the San Saba River.

John Duncan's Fort ?
(1858 - 1865), Richland Springs
A settlers' fort built for protection against Indians. In use through the Civil War.

Camp McMillan
(1862 - 1864), San Saba County
A CSA Frontier Regiment / Texas Ranger post located at Hall's Spring at the head of Richland Creek.

Camp San Sabá (2)
(1861 - 1864, 1868), Camp San Sabá
A CSA Frontier Regiment / Texas Ranger post. Briefly occupied by Federal troops in 1868 before the re-establishment of Fort McKavett.

Fort Mason
(1851 - 1862, 1866 - 1869, 1870), Mason
A Federal Dragoon post located on the west bank of Comanche Creek. It was the headquarters of the 2nd Cavalry, under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee. It was his last command in the Federal Army before the Civil War. The fort was mostly abandoned from 1861 to 1866, except for brief stints in 1861 by the CSA Texas Mounted Rifles, and in 1862 as a CSA POW camp. No remains except rock foundations in some places, but the Officers' quarters was reconstructed on Post Hill in 1975 on the original foundation, located five blocks south of the Mason County courthouse, owned by the Mason County Historical Society. Several homes in town were built with the original stones from the fort. The Mason County Museum in town at 300 Moody Street was once a schoolhouse that was built from the fort's materials in the 1870's.

Camp Llano
(1862 - 1864), Mason County
A CSA Frontier Regiment / Texas Ranger post located near the convergence of Rock Creek at the Llano River.

Fort Martin Scott
(1848 - 1853, 1866), Fredericksburg
A Federal infantry post located on Baron's Creek two miles south of town, originally named Camp Houston. Renamed in 1849. The German settlers in the area had already signed a treaty of friendship with the Comanches in 1847, therefore no hostile action ever occurred here. Between 1851 and 1853 it served mainly as a forage depot for other nearby posts. Re-occupied by Federal troops briefly in 1866 before it was abandoned. The restored guardhouse is the only original building remaining. Two Officers' quarters have been reconstructed, and a visitor center is on site. Site is owned by the city and operated by the Gillespie County Historical Society.

Camp Davis
(1862 - 1864), near Fredericksburg
A CSA Frontier Regiment / Texas Ranger post located about four miles from the convergence of White Oak Creek at the Pedernales River.

Blanco Fort Houses ?
(1853 - unknown), Blanco County
Several area settler houses were later fortified to protect against Indians, but none still exist. Names and locations undetermined.

NEED MORE INFO:
Towns:

NOTE: The use of the Texas flag for settler forts before 1836 indicates those settlers of American origin, even though Texas did not exist as a seperate nation until 1836.

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