THE TWO LIVES OF FORT RICHARDSON
In the 1850's the Texas Emigration and Land Office was offering land grants, drawing large numbers of settlers. This land, of course, already had residents... namely the Native Americans who had lived here for generations. At first, with smaller numbers of settlers the tribes accepted the newcomers, but as the numbers increased, understandably, they began to object to the changes they were seeing in their land. The conflicts that followed are the theme and purpose for this fort, which is now a state park.
Between 1867 and 1875 southern plains tribes, largely Kiowa and Comanche, saw their way of life under attack, leading to violent battles with the U.S. Army. The park interpretive center has some wonderful informative displays offering insights into the Native American cultures as well as the settlers and the military at that time.
The nearby town of Jacksboro was already settled (in the 1850's) when the northernmost outpost Fort Richardson was established in 1868. The post hospital was completed in 1870.
The fort's tasks in this "first life" were protection of the settlement of Jacksboro, as well as the northern Texas border. Cavalry and infantry troops were assigned to duty on the northern Texas frontier, and Fort Richardson was a key post during these times of unrest. The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon (see previous post) took place in 1874 and is considered the final big battle of the Red River War 1874-1875. This fort was established before that battle took place.
Life at the fort was not luxurious. Long and difficult patrols, sometimes all the way to Palo Duro Canyon 300 miles away, often in treacherous weather, illness, spoiled food, in addition to wounds acquired in battle or from the routine of daily life in this harsh environment. These patrols, along with guarding the military road connecting Fort Richards to other forts in the southwest. Of the original 60+ buildings only a few remain, and some are modern replicas. The hospital, picture below, is one of the most complete buildings at the fort.
Foundations remain for some that have been lost to time and the elements, and those remaining are now nicely supplied with furnishings and mannequins dressed for the period so one can understand how life must have been in those early years of the fort. The infirmary, shown below, must have been miserably cold in the winter with only one small wood stove to heat the high-ceiling room.
After the Battle of Palo Duro, the north Texas frontier was relatively secure and soldiers were no longer needed at Fort Richardson. Orders to abandon Fort Richardson were issued March 29, 1878.
THE SECOND LIFE OF FORT RICHARDSON
During World War II, Fort Richardson was reactivated and became an active Texas National Guard installation as the mobilization site for Battery F, 2ndBattalion, 131st Field Artillery Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. This "second life" is an important contribution to the survival of some of the existing/original structures.
In early 1942, the battalion fought alongside the Dutch on the island of Java to repel a Japanese invasion. The unit and 368 sailors from the USS Houston were captured when the Dutch surrendered the island in March. The fate of the men who were fighting there remained a mystery until the end of the war. They became known as the “Lost Battalion.”
Imprisoned for 42 months the men suffered harsh working conditions and tropical diseases and injuries with no medical treatment. The 738 members of the Lost Battalion who managed to survive were liberated on August 15, 1945. There is a state historical marker near the visitor center for the fort commemorating these men.
THE TOWN OF JACKSBORO
The nearby town of Jacksboro was originally named "Mesquiteville" when it was established in the 1850's, due to the dominance of mesquite trees in the area, the name was changed in 1858 when it became the county seat for Jack County, named in honor of brothers William and Patrick Jack.
The population of Jacksboro was a little over 4,000 in the 2020 census, but seems much larger. Several of the historic buildings on Main Street survive, though considerable restoration is needed for some of them. Most have been repurposed from their original use as banks and hotels to now housing smaller retail businesses, restaurants, and B & B's. It is a pleasant little town and has all the services one might need. We enjoyed driving a few of the side streets and looking at the historic homes.
We arrived at the state park late in the afternoon on May 3. It was a long drive from Palo Duro Canyon! With gray skies overhead we scurried to set up camp, and by 7 p.m. we were deep into thunder and lightening and really high wind. Then came the rain and hail. Not really much total precipitation but it surely came down with a flourish!
The camping and hiking facilities in the park are some of the best we've seen. There are trails everywhere, and huge fields of mown grass where that is appropriate and natural fields of wildflowers and blooming cactus in the plentiful wide open spaces. We enjoyed our site's open space and sat outside listening to the birds. My Merlin app identified several species by their songs, but most of them remained hidden in the dense shrubbery. Little furrows in the leaf duff along the walking paths indicated the armadillos were busy overnight, and the butterflies were out if full force, sampling the nectar in the wildflowers.
