There was "Fort Griffin," the military installation up on the bluff that operated as a defense against outlaws and native incursions from 1867 to 1881, and then there was "Fort Griffin", also known as "Griffin", "The Flat" or "The Flats", the town below. This site is a bit north of the fort, which is now the centerpiece of a state park, reachable by a county road (which is either 184 or 188, but there is no signage). Watch for the flagpole at the top of the bluff, and ahead of you are two Texas Historical Markers. Go right, watch for the cattle, and welcome to The Flat.
William E. Moore's "The Texas Calaboose and and Other Forgotten Jails" notes that this little old stone jail was constructed in 1878 for $150, using locally-quarried limestone. It has a dirt floor and the walls are a foot thick. Its footprint is only 80 square feet, with a volume of 118.5 square feet, and it couldn't have been a lot of fun to be in here, as the only light and ventilation that come in are via the door and the two slits (4" x 24" each) on the two long sides. Apparently, the local authorities managed to get eighteen people into this hoosegow on one particularly rough night. While there is no one single town upon which movies base their depiction of rough-and-tumble towns of the Old West, Fort Griffin could be among those from which Hollywood has drawn inspiration, as it was known as the "Babylon of the Brazos". The likes of Bat Masterson, Lottie Deno, Pat Garrett, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, John Selman, John Wesley Hardin, John Larn, Big Nose Kate, and Hurricane Bill (and Hurricane Minnie!) spent time here -- Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday actually met in Fort Griffin -- and it's interesting to think of any one of them on either side of that entry door.
A 1974 Texas Historical Marker stands in front of the old calaboose. The title of "Fort Griffin Civil Jail" was placed on the marker to distinguish this little jail from its military counterpart up on the bluff, used by the military. Some modifications have been made, but it originally, it read:
This structure was the jail used in the town of Fort Griffin located 15 miles north of here, near the United States Army Post of Fort Griffin which defended the frontier from 1867 to 1881. During this period lawlessness was common in the town. Citizens built this thick-walled jail in 1878, although a conspicuous stone bears an earlier date. Gamblers, trail drivers, buffalo hunters, and skinners were frequently held here, as many as 18 at one time. Used as a cowshed after the 1880s the jail was moved here in 1954 by W.G. Webb and the county commissioners.
Text in bold refers to what was on the marker when it was placed in front of the calaboose during its stay at Webb Park in Albany. Interestingly, that prickly pear cactus plant atop the calaboose went along for the initial ride to the park back in 1954, and after repairs were made to the roof, it was returned to this location. The "conspicuous stone" has been removed: It was dated 1867 and was not part of the original structure, having been brought here when the calaboose was disassembled and returned to The Flat (date unknown), and presumably, the prickly pear cactus was put back into place, too.