Around Historic Fort Stockton

The Army built Fort Stockton in 1858 to aid and assist the pioneers who were traveling through the region on their way to El Paso, to stifle the 'Indian aggressions" of the Comaches, provide a trading post along the Butterfield Stage Coach/mail route that ran from San Antonio to San Diego. After the Civil War the fort was abandoned but then reestablished in 1868 and was functional for the next 18 years.  At the height of the fort's existence 38 buildings stood but today only 8 remain.  Of those 8 only 4 can be visited.  There are 4 officers homes still intact but 3 of them are owned privately.

Look at the photos - amazing!

We have visited many forts and garrisons over the years but I am always amazed at the history that surrounds these places.  For example, again we learn that 3 divisions of the Buffalo Solders were stationed here, getting their initial training at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona, not far from Tucson.  And one of the commanders of Fort Stockton was an amateur photographer and many of his pictures depicting life at the fort are on display.  Stunning to see actual photographs.

At one time this was a private residence!

Impressive

Too bad it has dried up

After visiting the fort we drove into the old section of town and visited the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum which is a hotel that once served this frontier town.  Today it stands as a memorial to the original settlers, how the area grew, and gives a history of the peoples.  Some of the rooms were turned into display rooms - one for businesses at the turn of the century, one for the religious history and the churches, one set up on how the hotel's rooms were furnished, etc.

Love the entrance door

Original decor

Courtyard between rooms

For hundreds of thousands years a natural spring ran above ground in Fort Stockton, one of the reasons the Army built their fort there - to have sustainable water.  Over grazing and farms drawing on the springs for irrigation has dried up the water supply.  The town took the main spring area and turned it into a swimming park but by 1965 the water was gone.  How sad.

We begin our picking up and putting things away/laundry/clean day today and tomorrow we move to Las Cruces, New Mexico for just a few days - about 290 miles from here due west.  We have been freezing here - that polar cold snap that hit most of the country has been here too.  Last two nights the temperature was a chilly 25, had to take up the water hoses and be self contained, using our own water tanks to get by.  Thankfully, its now moving eastward, todays high will be 55 and Saturday will be 75.