This remote but remarkably well preserved fort, near the San Saba River 70 miles southeast of San Angelo, was established by the Eighth Infantry in 1852 as a bulwark against Comanche and Apache raids. Hailed by General William Sherman as ‘the prettiest post in Texas’, it reached its peak in the mid-1870s, housing more than 400 troops and many civilians.
When the army left in 1883, the buildings were auctioned off, and the fort was effectively a ‘village’ until the 1950s. Now several structures have been restored to illustrate their original roles, and the visitor center holds a small museum. There is no town of Fort McKavett; the local population is just 2.
