Fort Lancaster

Fort Lancaster is a military post ruin located near the Pecos River with remains of limestone and adobe buildings. The surviving structures include barracks, a hospital, a blacksmith shop, and officers quarters that together show how daily life unfolded at this outpost.

The post was established in 1855 to protect travelers using the San Antonio-El Paso Road. It served as a key military outpost in the broader strategy to maintain order across the expanding western frontier.

The site shows how military personnel, Native Americans, and settlers intersected in daily life on the frontier. The layout and remains reveal how different groups used and moved through this landscape.

Visitors can walk through the ruins and explore an interpretive center that explains daily military life through exhibits and displays. The grounds are accessible on foot with pathways connecting the main structures and surrounding area.

This post witnessed a rare moment in American military history when it came under direct attack. The incident makes this place a significant but often overlooked site in the story of the western frontier.

Location: Texas

Location: Crockett County

Address: 10 mi. E of Sheffield on U.S. 290

Website: http://thc.texas.gov/historic-sites/fort-lancaster-state-historic-site

GPS coordinates: 30.66611,-101.69611

Latest update: December 9, 2025 18:49