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The future Fort Lancaster is established
On this day in 1855, Camp Lancaster was established. The camp became Fort
Lancaster on August 21, 1856, and was commanded by Capt. Steven D.
Carpenter. It was first manned by companies H and K of the First United
States Infantry. Its mission was to protect the lower road from San
Antonio to El Paso. The soldiers escorted mail and freight trains, and
pursued marauding Comanches and Mescalero Apaches. The Butterfield Stage
began using the lower road in 1859. Federal troops were removed in 1861,
after secession. During the Civil War the fort was occupied by Walter P.
Lane's rangers. After the war it was reoccupied in 1871 by a company of
infantry and a detachment of cavalry. The original camp was constructed of
picket canvas and portable Turnley prefabricated buildings. When it was
abandoned in 1873 or 1874 all the buildings were of stone or adobe.
Subsequently much of its masonry was used for buildings in Sheffield. The
site of old Fort Lancaster was deeded to Crockett County in 1965 and
donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1968. Archeological
exploration had located many of the original buildings, and many artifacts
have been recovered. Much of this material is displayed at the visitors'
center at Fort Lancaster State Historical Site. The state yielded
management of the fort to Texas Rural Communities, Inc., in 1993.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- FORT LANCASTER
- APACHE INDIANS
- COMANCHE INDIANS
- CIVIL WAR
- LANE, WALTER PAYE
- BUTTERFIELD OVERLAND MAIL
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Repeat hurricane dooms Indianola (1886)
- Presidential parents wed (1907)
- Peace--finally!--between the U.S. and Texas (1866)
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