Fort McKavett, Texas
Encyclopedia
Fort McKavett is a ghost town
in Menard County, Texas
, United States
. It lies at the intersections of Farm to Market Road 864 and Farm to Market Road 1674, twenty miles southwest of the county seat Menard, Texas
. Its elevation is 2,169 feet (661 m). Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office
, with the ZIP code
of 76841.
), with the name of Scabtown. Camp San Saba closed in 1859, and many residents fled to safer areas to be protected against Indian depredations. The United States Army
re-opened the outpost in 1869 as Fort McKavett. As the civilian population of Scabtown grew, the community was re-named after Fort McKavett, and the local economy began to thrive. The Army closed the fort in 1883, but the earlier relocation of native American tribes made the civilians feel safe enough to remain. The population grew, and with it an economy that supported two hotels, three churches, a newspaper and a mattress factory. The population peaked at 150 at the beginning of the 20th Century, but declined in the latter half of the century.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Menard County, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies at the intersections of Farm to Market Road 864 and Farm to Market Road 1674, twenty miles southwest of the county seat Menard, Texas
Menard, Texas
Menard is a city in and the county seat of Menard County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,653 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. Its elevation is 2,169 feet (661 m). Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, with the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 76841.
History
The settlement of Fort McKavett had its 1850s origins as a civilian population just north of Camp San Saba in Menard, County (not the Camp San Saba in McCulloch CountyMcCulloch County, Texas
McCulloch County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. The geographical center of Texas lies within the county. In 2000, its population was 8,205. Its county seat is Brady. McCulloch is named for Benjamin McCulloch, a famous Texas Ranger and Confederate...
), with the name of Scabtown. Camp San Saba closed in 1859, and many residents fled to safer areas to be protected against Indian depredations. The United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
re-opened the outpost in 1869 as Fort McKavett. As the civilian population of Scabtown grew, the community was re-named after Fort McKavett, and the local economy began to thrive. The Army closed the fort in 1883, but the earlier relocation of native American tribes made the civilians feel safe enough to remain. The population grew, and with it an economy that supported two hotels, three churches, a newspaper and a mattress factory. The population peaked at 150 at the beginning of the 20th Century, but declined in the latter half of the century.