Officer Quarters across the Fort Jefferson parade grounds, taken from the enlisted barracks. The other picture is just of a nice agave.
Fort Davis is about 32 miles south of I-10 on Hwy 17, in the Davis mountain range, at about 5000 ft. This morning it was 36 degrees outside. Brrrr. Inside we are fine with our trusty electric heater.
We are staying in Davis Mountain State Park – nice, with good meal service at the adjoining Indian Lodge. The drive in was also nice, the topography changing from west-Texas rolling hills to a hint of low mountain, with vertical basalt-like rock pillars.
The fort is named for Jefferson Davis. At the time he was US Secretary of War, not president of the Confederacy. Built in 1854 it was a frontier fort protecting emigrants and trade lines on the San Antonio – El Paso road. With the Civil War it was abandoned by the Union and briefly held by the Confederacy, then abandoned again. In 1867 it was re-occupied by the US Cavalry but the fort was so decrepit it had to be rebuilt. The remains here today date from 1869-1891 and involve a lot of reconstruction. The fort was again abandoned in 1891 as no longer having a purpose with the conclusion of the Indian Wars.
No comments:
Post a Comment