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 Frontier Town of Fort Griffin
N 32° 55.924 W 099° 13.800
14S E 478497 N 3643778
There are two Texas Historical Markers near the intersection of Shackelford County Roads 184 and 188, approaching the Fort Griffin town site. This one provides some background on Shackelford County's own little Hell's Half Acre.
Waymark Code: WM11GZ6
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 10/23/2019
Views: 4
Jesse Stem was the first significant settler in the area, besides the natives, and he was clubbed to death by a couple of Kickapoo in 1854; the Kickapoo tribe responded by executing the two bad guys. As for those who spent time after The Flat was established, Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp actually met here.
The old calaboose was moved from here to Albany in the 1950s, and later, brought right back. A little bit off the main drag is the old Masonic Lodge, which has been restored from its ruins, and less than a quarter mile northeast of town is the abandoned Fort Griffin Brazos River Bridge. The other structures are recreations to give you a taste of what things were like -- maybe they're still working on building the hotel -- and you should expect to see cattle in the area. Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone.
Marker Number: 13028
Marker Text:
In the 19th century, the U.S. government established forts along Texas' frontier to protect pioneers. By the early 1850s, Col. Jesse Stem farmed along the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, and Thomas Lambshead established his Clear Fork Farm. As others moved to the area, troops at Camp Cooper in present-day Throckmorton County, including then-Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee, provided military defense. Camp Cooper closed at the start of the Civil War in 1861. After the war, the U.S. Army established Camp Wilson, later renamed Fort Griffin, near this site in 1867.
Fort Griffin sat on the high ground above the river. A settlement developed between it and the water's edge. The town, known also as "The Flat," included merchants, cattlemen and their families. Its permanent populace supported a newspaper, the Fort Griffin Echo, as well as an academy, Masonic Lodge and several stores and saloons. A rough element of cowboys, gamblers and renegades mixed with black and white troops to form a lawless scene. Among those attracted to the town were Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, Lottie Deno, Big Nose Kate, Hurricane Bill and Hurricane Minnie.
Fort Griffin was a stop for buffalo hide trade, and hides awaiting shipment crowded town lots. Located along the Western Cattle Trail, it included immigrant residents from several countries. Due to the distance from governmental authority, area residents formed Shackelford County in 1874. The town's population steadily declined after Albany became the county seat and the terminus of the Texas Central Railroad. Notable local businesses included the Beehive Saloon, The Conrad and Rath Store, the Glesk Boot Shop and the Occidental Hotel. The fort closed in 1881, but elements of the town remained in operation into the mid-20th century. The school consolidated with the Albany district in 1942. (2004)
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