Fort McKavett

The Texas Hill Country is rich with history. In recent years revisionist historians have only written about a select few aspects of the region, apparently preferring to overlook the fact that outlaws, lawmen, Indians, horse soldiers and Spanish explorers crisscrossed the San Saba River and Menard County area for hundreds of years. True enough, the quaint shops and bistros, the music festivals, wildflowers, and the pleasing climate may be the attraction today but the area was home to Paleo-Indians 10,000 years ago. Spaniards trekked through the region in 1753, finding promise of gold and silver in the surrounding hills. Early Texas pioneers ultimately carved out a frontier settlement here, only to be menaced by hostile Comanche Indians, reluctant to release their hold on the region. Fort McKavett, the lonely outpost on the San Saba, played a vital part in the settlement of this area and in the rich military history of Texas. Join the author in rediscovering the fort, and Menard County.