By Charles Lohrmann

On most days, the sketchy ruins of stone buildings at old Fort Griffin will not offer many details of 19th-Century life in this rugged and hilly country 15 miles north of Albany. But on a recent late-summer afternoon, uncharacteristically overcast skies and an unusual misting rain cloaked the landscape in foggy mystery and muffled all sound, so that even the occasional passing of a truck on US 283 in the valley below the site registered as only a low whir. And in that silence so complete that even my own footsteps echoed slightly, the solemn, stolid buildings seemed willing to reveal their secrets.

First established in 1867, Fort Griffin prospered for less than 15 years as a supply post to serve other frontier Texas forts and to support the commercial hunters and cattlemen driving their herds on the Western Trail north. While the Army post occupied the high ground overlooking the Clear Fork of the Brazos, the hard-drinking, rough-hewn town known as The Flat (among other names) sprang up on the level river valley below. Legend has it that this town, organized as Fort Griffin in 1874, earned a notorious reputation for its walk-on-the-wild-side ways and for the visitation of characters such as Wyatt Earp, Big Nose Kate, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holliday. A few relics of the town—including a Sharps Rifle originally purchased at Conrad and Rath Merchandise—are on display at the Old Jail Art Center in Albany.

Even though the imaginary activity of the Fort Griffin Army Post in its bygone days enlivens my quiet stroll through the grounds, I’m as interested in learning a little more about the current activities at the site and check in with Site Manager Mitch Baird. He tells me that the Texas Historical Commission, the agency that now operates the site, has commissioned a major effort to restore the original grassland at Fort Griffin by removing invasive mesquite and prickly pear from about 75 acres surrounding the historic ruins.


Baird explains that the grassland restoration will not only return the site to its true 1870s appearance, but also that the work will enhance wildlife habitat. And, no doubt the enhanced grassland will be welcome for the State Long-horn Herd, now about 75 animals strong, that also rambles at Fort Griffin.

In addition to grassland restoration, the Historical Commission also has plans to stabilize the original military structures at the site, including the hand-dug, rock-lined cistern, in which water was stored for the post. Within the year, a local friends-of-the-park organization plans to take the first steps toward adding a roof to the powder magazine and stabilizing that building’s structure.

Today, eight sites (including Fort Griffin), along with the communities that support them, encourage history buffs to make the 650-mile-long drive called the Texas Forts Trail.
But Fort Griffin is not just for history enthusiasts. A 50-acre campground adjoins the Clear Fork of the Brazos and invites relaxed exploration with three easy trails that meander over the riparian landscape.

See the full article in the November 2008 issue.

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