During the late 1860s and early 1870s, after having been forced onto reservations north of the Red River, Kiowa and Comanche warriors returned to raid sections of West Texas which had once been part of their favorite hunting grounds. By the end of the Civil War, settlers in Shackelford County demanded protection from the raids and from the lawlessness brought in by the buffalo hunters and cowboys.
On July 31, 1867, the United States Army established Fort Griffin as part of a new line of defense. Lieutenant Colonel S. F. Sturgis and four companies of the Sixth Cavalry strategically located the new post on a high plateau overlooking a bend in the Clear Fork of the Brazos River. Fort Griffin became a major support post during the Buffalo Wars with Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie utilizing the fort as a base of operations for several years. Troops from Fort Griffin, including units of the Buffalo Soldiers and Tonkawa scouts, participated in all the decisive campaigns that ended Kiowa and Comanche domination of northern Texas. In May 1881, the Army determined that Fort Griffin was no longer a necessity for defense and the post was abandoned.
Fort Griffin State Historic Site preserves the ruins and restored structures of a post-Civil war fort built in 1867. The site was designated as a Texas State Historical Park in 1968 in recognition of its importance in offering visitors a rich historical perspective into western military life.
The Texas Historical Commission works to preserve this historic site while maintaining and interpreting the Wild WEst character of this Texas fort. As you visit, take time to appreciate the sights and sounds that have been lost in most urban settings and allow the site's natural wonders to enrich your life. You have a part to play in helping ensure this natural and cultural resource endures.
