FORT RICHARDSON STATE HISTORICAL PARK. Fort Richardson State Historical Park is off U.S. Highway 281 a half mile south of Jacksboro in Jack County. The 396.1-acre park was the site of Fort Richardson, a United States Army installation built in 1867 in an attempt to pacify the Indians on the Western frontier. After the army abandoned the facility in 1878 the buildings were left to the elements, and many of the structures collapsed. The city of Jacksboro acquired title to the fort and deeded it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Departmentqv in 1968. The department purchased the adjoining 347 acres in 1970 and 1974. The fort hospital now serves as a museum; it and several other buildings have been restored. The ruins of many of other structures can also be seen. Facilities include a hiking trail, camping and picnicking areas, and restrooms.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ray Miller, Texas Parks (Houston: Cordovan, 1984).
Christopher Long
