Fort Lancaster Soldiers Quarters RuinsFort Lancaster Soldiers Quarters Ruins
History
Fort Lancaster was one of the most remote posts in a chain of forts guarding the lower San Antonio - El Paso Military Road before the U.S. Civil War. It was evacuated by Federal troops 19 Mar 1861 and occupied by Confederate troops during the U.S. Civil War. The fort was reoccupied by Federal troops in 1871 and abandoned in 1873 or 1874.
Current Status
Fort Lancaster State Historic Site, operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife, is 81.6 total acres located west of Ozona in Crockett County. It was acquired April 16, 1968, by deed from Crockett County and private owners. In 1975, Henry Meadows donated 41 more acres of land, which included the sites of a sutler store. The site contains the ruins of 29 buildings and a cemetery.
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Location:Located 8 miles east of Sheffield, off Interstate 10 on US Highway 290 (Scenic Loop). Take Exit #343 and follow US Highway 290 to the park.
Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 153
Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 767-768
