Fort McKavett State Historic Site

Fort McKavett, Texas was established in 1852 by the US Army as part of a line of forts to protect migrants traveling to California. The Fort was deemed unnecessary and abandoned in 1859 and was occupied by settlers. During the American Civil War, the fort became an outpost of Confederate forces on the Texas frontier. The fort was abandoned permanently in June 1883 and was once again occupied by civilian settlers who converted its buildings into residences and businesses. The town of Fort McKaveett grew within and beyond the fort's grounds until the late 1920s and then started to decay. It is now a ghost town. Preservation of the fort began in 1968 and on July 14, 1971, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.