Fort Belknap, Military fort and National Historic Landmark in Young County, Texas.
Fort Belknap is a long two-story building of rough reddish-brown stone blocks under a brown shingled gabled roof, with three rectangular windows above and two larger ones below; a flat-roofed single-story section extends to the right. In front stands a small square stone well shelter with a pyramidal shingled roof on stone pillars.
An Army officer established this frontier station in 1851 to prevent raids from Kiowa and Comanche groups on settlers. The post later became the base for important expeditions exploring western territories.
The fort's name honours William G. Belknap, who chose the site on the right bank of the Salt Fork of the Brazos. Families from Young County sheltered in the abandoned buildings during snowstorms, and the site now holds the Fort Belknap Archives of North Texas records. A historic grape arbor shelters the largest known mustang (muscadine) grape vine.
The grounds are open during daytime hours with paths through the various structures and across the site. Wear sturdy shoes since the paths are unpaved and the terrain can be uneven in places.
The fort's grape arbor shelters the largest mustang (muscadine) grape vine known to exist, a living detail beside the rebuilt structures. The Fort Belknap Archives, also on site, holds records from North Texas.
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