Fort McKavett State Historical Park

The 8th Regiment U.S. Infantry established Fort McKavett in 1852 as part of a frontier defense system stretching from the Red River to the Rio Grande, and along major transportation routes to El Paso. Troups of the 8th and 1st Infantry regiments and the 2nd Dragoon regiment occupied Fort McKavett in the 1850's, charged with deterring raids of Native Americans, who fought to hold their home land. Farmers and ranchers moved into the region as frontier settlement pushed westward. During the Civil War,the Confederate state governments failed to protect the frontier, and the line of settlement retreated eastward a hundred miles in some areas. At Fort McKavett, residents moved into the abandoned buildings for protection. After the war, in 1867, the Army began rebuilding the frontier line, occupying Fort McKavett in April 1868. Fort McKavett served as the headquarters for the 24th and 10th infantry regiments during the post war occupation. By 1880 raiding had ceased in Central Texas, making Fort McKavett unessential for frontier protection. On June 30th, 1883, Company D, 16th U.S. Infantry marched away, and the local citizens once again moved into the abandoned buildings.