Fort Lancaster
Fort Lancaster protected the lower road from San Antonio to El
Paso in the years following the discovery of gold in California. The duties of the men
stationed at Fort Lancaster were to escort mail and freight trains, pursue Mescalero
Apaches and Comanches, and patrol their segment of road to keep track of Indian movements.
The post was originally constructed of picket canvas and portable Turnley prefabricated
buildings. By the time it was abandoned all its major structures were made of stone or
adobe. The Butterfield Overland Mail changed its route west from the upper road between
San Antonio and El Paso to the lower road in August 1859. Mail on the lower road had
previously been contracted to George H. Giddings and John Birch. Three coaches per month
passed over the road. In June of 1860 Lt. William E. Echols and his "camel corps" visited the fort..
The site of Fort Lancaster was deeded to Crockett County in 1965
and donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1968. Archeological exploration
had been begun two years earlier by T. R. Hays and Edward B. Jelks; their project involved
excavating one barracks and three latrines and testing two other barracks and two
commissary structures. Three structures-an officers' quarters, the commissary, and the
hospital kitchen-and the flagpole location were entirely excavated in 1971 by John W.
Clark. Dessamae Lorraine did additional mapping of the site and work on the flagpole site
shortly after Clark's excavation. In 1974 Wayne Roberson excavated two enlisted men's
barracks and two officers' quarters. The excavations produced large numbers of artifacts
and a great deal of architectural information for interpreting the site. Much of this
material is presented at the visitors' center at Fort Lancaster State Historic Site and in
state archeological reports. Because of a budget shortfall the state yielded management of
the site to Texas Rural Communities, Incorporated, in 1993.
(Handbook of Texas)
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