Fort McKavett was first established on March 14, 1852, by the 8th Regiment, U.S. Amy on the banks of the San Saba River, two miles from its source.  It was named in honor of Captain Henry McKavett, an officer of the 8th Infantry who was killed during the U.S-Mexican War in 1846. The fort was evacuated on June 30, 1883 and turned back over to the local citizens.  In 1968 Fort McKavett became a part of the Texas Parks and Wildlife system as a State Historical Park.

We hope those who follow in the footsteps of  the soldiers of the 1800’s will come to better understand how Fort McKavett and the other forts of West Texas were a vital part of the rich history of  Texas!   Imagine yourself being stationed here  during that period of time.

As you tour the museum and hike the trail, we encourage you to learn as much as possible about the life of the soldiers who were stationed here far from their homes in a very remote part of Texas.

Please call Fort McKavett before you visit as capacity is limited.

Overnight camping is available at Camp Sol Mayer, located three miles east of Ft. McKavett,  at the Dixie Allison Girl Scout Camp located five miles east of Ft. McKavett.   Advance reservations for any of the camping sites must be made in advance.   

Contacts:

Camp Sol Mayer:  Texas Southwest Council, BSA, San Angelo, 325-655-7107
Camp Dixie Allison:  Girl Scouts of Central Texas, San Angelo,1-800-733-0011 toll free
     https://www.gsctx.org/en/camps/camp/camp-dixie-allison.html
Fort McKavett State Historical Park:  325-396-2358  ft-mckavett@thc.texas.gov  
      https://www.thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/fort-mckavett-state-historic-site

2.  Do a service project either at Fort McKavett or one of the  camps.  Approval of the any project must be obtained in advance of any work done.

3.  Make application to the Southwest Texas Council Service Center. 

2.  Your group must stay together while on the trail.  Large groups may be divided into several groups, but each group must have at least two adults with them.

3.  Those hiking this trail  should be mindful that they are a representative of the Boy Scouts of America or the Girl Scouts U.S.A.  They should always be courteous, dignified and follow the principles of the respective Oath and Law.  It is the responsibility of the leaders to keep the group under control.

4.  Obey all Fort McKavett State Historical Park regulations.  Do not climb on the walls of the ruins or buildings.  Do not pick up any artifacts or other historical objects from the ground.   The fort is closed for general use at night. 

5.  Please do not work on any service project without first obtaining permission from the Park Superintendent, Camp Ranger or the local Girl Scout office.  All work done at any of these sites must be done with adequate adult supervision.  And service project will qualified that will help the facility, whether it be picking up trash, building a structure or cleaning rocks at the fort.

6.  Upon arrival at Fort McKavett, check in with the Park personnel at the park headquarters located in the old Hospital building.

7.  Patches are optional.  Upon completion of the requirements of the trail they may be ordered from the Texas Southwest Council, BSA, using the enclosed order form.

8.  Scouts may also qualify for the Boy Scouts of America “Historical  Trails Award” if they meet those requirements.  Requirements and award application, Number 4408 may be obtained from your local Council Service Center.

9.  Emergency medical services are located at Menard, Texas located 23 miles east of Fort McKavett on U.S. Highway 190. 

10.  You may want to take a picnic lunch with you to the Fort as there are no eating establishments at the fort.  There is a restaurant located on Highway 190 about two miles north of the fort.

Hours of Operation

The park is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  You will not want to start a tour after 2:30 p.m. as you won’t have adequate time to complete the trail and look at the exhibits.

Cost

Adults - $4.00
Seniors - $3.00
Children 6-18 - $3.00
Children 5 and under - Free

The Apaches had traditionally lived from spring until harvest time in small villages during which time they planted and harvested their crops.  In the fall they embarked on a buffalo hunt which lasted until the following spring and the new planting season.

They dwelled in bisonhide tepees and lived in small groups throughout West Texas.  They could discharge a dozen arrows while a man was loading a gun.  A Lipan Apache could present and string his bow, then shoot an arrow almost as quickly as we can shoot our modern rifles today.

They were clothed with skins of buffalo and some wore blankets.   The women wore a sort of trousers made of buckskin and shoes or leggings.  In the summer the men wore a breechcloth, leggings and moccasins; in winter a buckskin shirt and blanket were added. 

The Warriors would cut off the hair on the left side of the head even with the top of the ear and allowed the hair on the right side to grow long, sometimes almost reaching the ground.  The log hair normally was folded up and tied with string so that it did not fall below shoulder level.  Feathers and trinkets adorned the hair.  The left ear was pierced with from six to eight holes, the right one with one or more.

Their war parties painted their faces red and most of them wore headdresses of buffalo horn.  Their long lances were painted red and each warrior carried a shied of tanned buffalo hide painted in vivid colors and decorated with a circle of feathers.  Late in the nineteenth century some wore feather war bonnets.

The Comanches were taught to ride horses and how to use the shield in connection with the lance by the Spaniards.  The shield was said to be able to stop a musket bullet.  They became the best horseman of all the Indian tribes.  This made it possible for them to ride for many years while other braves were forced to walk. 

They followed the buffalo all over the Central United States and set up only temporary camps.  Riding the horse gave them mastery over all other tribes.

Fort McKavett Historic Trail Award

Stops:
1. Post Hospital
2. Dead House
3. Hospital Sinks
4. Schoolhouse
5. Field and Commanding Officers Quarters
6. Lieutenant’s Quarters No. 8
7. Captain’s Quarters No. 4
8. Post Headquarters
 9. Enlisted Barracks No. 4
10. Parade Ground
11. Bakery
12. Quartermaster Shops
13. Lime Kiln and Quarry
14. Government Springs
15. Jumano Campground

Questions and Answers

1. Post Hospital

a. This hospital is divided into three sections. What are those sections?

 i. (1) Ward Room, (2) Offices and Operating Rooms, (3) Mess Hall and Kitchen

b. This building is unique from all other fort buildings in two ways. What are they?

i. (1) Only fort building built by entirely civilians, (2) Only building not whitewashed

2. Dead House

a. Soldiers died on the frontier as a result of battle but also of disease and poor hygiene or sanitation. How many soldiers died while stationed at Fort McKavett?

 i. 91

b. Where are most of the dead Fort McKavett soldiers currently buried?

i. The National Cemetery at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In San Antonio

3. Hospital Sinks

a. These sinks are segregated. What was used to determine who used which side?

i. Rank. Officers used the right side while enlisted men used the left.

b. During the hot months of the year, raw sewage in Texas can be very smelly. What was used to combat the smell in these sinks?

i. Powdered Lime c. These sinks would need to be emptied on a regular basis.

Whose responsibility was it to empty out the sinks?

i. Soldiers confined to the guardhouse, prisoners

4. Schoolhouse

a. This schoolhouse was used as an education center from 1875 to 1953. For whose education was it originally built?

i. African-American soldiers, “Buffalo Soldiers”

b. After the Army left, this schoolhouse continued to educate local schoolchildren. Who was the last schoolteacher in the 1950’s?

i. Anys Pollard Godfrey

5. Field and Commanding Officer’s Quarters

a. Many of the buildings at Fort McKavett are in a state of ruin, caused by fire. Why would fire cause stone walls to topple? Give two possible reasons.

i. (1) Burned out buildings are no longer cared for, (2) whitewash wears off and the inferior mortar breaks apart because the whitewash isn’t protecting it, (3) vandalism (kids playing in or on the ruins), (4) free, ready-made building materials.

b. The Commanding Officers Quarters is the only three-story building on the fort. What is the purpose of the underground room in the northwest corner?

i. Root cellar, used for storing root vegetables (commonly grown during the winter) into the warmer months of the year.

6. Lieutenant’s Quarters No. 8

a. Junior Officers had the privilege of having a striker assigned to them. What is a striker? List two responsibilities he may have? List a possible benefit.

i. An enlisted soldier assigned as an assistant/ servant to an officer. Tasks: (1) Cooking, (2) cleaning, (3) camp set up, (4) orderly duties, (5) animal maintenance. Benefits: (1) better food, (2) privacy, (3) no fatigue duty, (4) personal favor

b. The canvas ceilings were installed because the residents thought it would make the house more insulated from cold and heat. This canvas is made up of old, worn out tents. Why did this turn out to be a bad idea?

i. The canvas tents would not allow condensed moisture above them to evaporate and so it soaked into the wood, creating mold that they then lived under.

c. This building was built in two phases; first in the 1850’s and the added onto in the 1860’s. What is one way we can see this is true?

i. (1) interior window converted to shelf, (2) different construction method, (3) size of doors

d. Social Custom in the 1800’s called for a bride’s family to provide a dowry. What is a dowry? List two examples of dowry items found in this building.

i. Dowry: “payment” to groom (from bride’s family) for marrying the bride and to start the new couple out on the right foot. Examples: (1) bed linens, (2) window drapes, (3) china wash basin, (4) tablecloths, (5)

7. Captain’s Quarters No. 4

a. Ladies on the frontier imitated their fellows back east by creating their own social scene to entertain themselves and their husbands and the soldiers of the post. Identify two ways in which officer’s wives stayed entertained at Fort McKavett

i. (1) sewing/quilting circles, (2) dances, (3) concerts, (4) picnic outings, (5) teas or small parties

b. The stove in the kitchen has three parts. What are these three distinct parts used for

i. Temperature difference. The front part is for small sticks and twigs (hottest), the middle part takes some of that heat (medium heat), the rear is for large logs and coals, making an oven and simmering station (lowest burner heat)

c. Canned food was very popular among officers, who could afford the expense. Why was eating canned food in this time unhealthy?

i. Cans were lead-lined and many became sick due to lead poisoning.

8. Post Headquarters

a. The copper wires running above the porch represent a momentous change in the way Americans communicated in the 19th Century. What were these lines used for?

 i. The electric telegraph machine

b. Payday was an important day for every resident of Fort McKavett. Even civilians like Army Laundresses and the Post Sutler anxiously awaited the arrival of the Paymaster’s wagon. How did the civilians ensure they were paid what they were owed by the soldiers?

i. The civilians would be required to turn in accounts for each soldier who they had extended credit to. The Paymaster would then subtract that owed money from the soldier’s pay before he received it and would pay the civilians what they were owed.

9. Enlisted Barracks No. 4

a. The South Rooms are set up as an infantry company barracks in the 1850’s would have been. There are two rooms. Who would have stayed in the smaller room? The larger room?

i. Smaller Room: Company NCO’s (First Sergeant, second sergeant, etc.) and Musicks (musicians). Larger Room: Privates and Corporals

b. The Middle Room is set up as an infantry barracks from the 1870’s. In this room, the beds are designed for one man only. Why did the Army stop sleeping two men to a bunk?

i. Hygiene and sanitation (as it relates to health) were better understood after the Civil War (2 out of 3 deaths in that war were due to disease or infection). Putting men one to a bed meant sick soldiers would spread the disease slow enough (hopefully) to quarantine them first.

c. The ruins to the right of this building are now called “The Long Barracks.” When it was repaired, this was the longest military building west of the Mississippi River. How many buildings were first built in this spot?

i. Three

10. Parade Ground

a. This Parade Ground is one of three located at Fort McKavett. It is here that formal ceremonies and inspections would be held, as well as morning and evening “parades”. How often did the soldiers muster here for a “Full Dress Parade”?

i. Once a week, on Sundays.

b. Using methods described in your Boy Scout Handbook, estimate the height of the Flagpole.

i. 62’2”

11. Bakery

a. This bakery was used to make fresh bread for the garrison at Fort McKavett. Hard bread “hardtack” was usually made back east and shipped to the frontier. What was the daily capacity of bread this bakery could produce?

i. 600 loaves per day

b. In the 1800’s the Army did not have specialized soldiers to do things like cook meals or bake bread. Who would be responsible for performing these necessary daily tasks?

i. Soldiers would work in company kitchens and post bakeries on a rotating basis. A soldier with experience in cooking or baking might volunteer to do this regularly to ensure better food quality

12. Quartermaster Shops

a. This building was vitally important to Fort McKavett’s operation. After the Red River War, Fort McKavett became a major supply base for others forts like Concho and Davis. What kind of craftsmen worked in this building?

i. Blacksmith, Carpenter, Wheelwright (mechanic), Saddler (leatherworker).

b. Archaeology is very important to understanding how people in the past lived and worked. This building and its inhabitants were identified by the use of archaeology. How would archaeology be useful in determining who worked here and what they did?

i. Finding tools and matching them to known examples would tell us who was working here. Knowledge of what tools were used for what (experimental archaeology) helps figure out what trades were being done.

13. Lime Kiln and Quarry

a. This quarry is one of three used to build the fort. The soldiers used a certain technique to separate large pieces of limestone from the walls that would be cut into bricks. What was this technique called?

i. Wedge-and-feather

b. The lime kiln was used to turn chips of limestone from the quarry floor into powdered lime. The chips would be layered with logs in the kiln, fired, slaked, and cooled. Give two uses of powdered lime at Fort McKavett.

i. Mortar to build buildings, whitewash, sanitation (in the sinks)

14. Government Springs

a. These springs are part of the headwaters of the San Saba River. They were a major factor in locating the post in Menard County.  A few years ago they had a flood here and the the springs do not flow as well as they use to.  Some have filled up with silt. Why was it important to build forts near water sources like Government Springs?

i. Soldiers and Horses need water, Indians can’t use the springs if a fort is here.

b. Most fort buildings had water barrels near them that the soldiers and civilians would drink and cook with. How did the water barrels get filled if the springs were down the hill?

i. Soldiers on fatigue duty or in the guardhouse (jail) would drive a water wagon down and fill the wagon by hand or with hand pumps later.

15. Jumano Campground

a. This site has been the scene of human settlement for thousands of years. The presence of grinding holes and the fact they are so deep proves this. What would the Jumanos have grinded in holes like this?

i. Acorns for flour, others nuts and grains to make meals from.

Fort McKavett Cemetery 

This cemetery was established in 1849 upon land donated by the W. D. Stockton family.  It is still in use today. When the fort was closed officially on June 30, 1883, the soldiers that were buried in this cemetery were dug up and moved to one of the other military cemeteries.  However, there are a few interesting graves still located here.  One of them is of William McDougall who was killed in an Indian Raid on the post on August 6, 1866.  His grave is located about seventy-five feet to the right of the cemetery flag post.

Another interesting grave is that of John W. Vaden who was shot in cold blood while unarmed in Ft. McKavett by the gunfighter, Ben Daniels, on October 7, 1886.   His grave is located about 100 feet south of McDougal’s grave next to a tree.   See if you can find it.  He was born on _________, 1849.

You will see many old graves here.   These names pretty well tells the story of the families that settled this area before and after the civil war.  Many of their ancestors still ranch in this area.

You will see many old graves here.   These names pretty well tells the story of the families that settled this area before and after the civil war.  Many of their ancestors still ranch in this area.

You may now leave the cemetery and return to the fort by the way you came or just hike up the Fort McKavett Cemetery Road pass where you entered the road and go up to the entrance to the fort.   This would be the shorter of the two routes.   Be careful of cars and trucks driving down this road.   Stop and look at the Historical Marker located to the entrance of Fort McKavett State Historical Park.

You have now completed the Fort McKavett Historical Trail.  We hope you have a better idea as to why this fort was here and about the people who lived here.  Upon completion of your service project you will be able to apply for your Ft. McKavett Historical patch and/or medal.  The medal may be worn on your Scout uniform above the left pocket.   The patch would be worn on your right pocket.

Remember to get your service project certified by the one of the park personnel before you leave.  If you did a service project at one of the camps instead, be sure and get that signed too before you take off for home. 

Please drive safely home.

https://www.thc.texas.gov/public/upload/publications/ftmckavett-visitorsguide.pdf