Fort McKavett State Historic Site

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Fort McKavett State Historic Site
Location:	Menard County, Texas
Nearest city:	Menard 23 miles
Coordinates:	30°49′37″N, 100°06′29″W
Established:	1846
Governing body:	Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a state park in Menard County, Texas, United States. Fort McKavett was a frontier fort established as Camp San Saba in 1852 to protect settlers from Indian raids. The camp was renamed in honor of Captain Henry McKavett, who was killed in the Mexican-American War battle of Monterrey.

Camp followers formed a town a mile north of the post. It was supposed to be named after a German merchant, but went by the unfortunate name of "Scabtown." The historic site itself is located close to Junction, Texas.

Fort McKavett was abandoned in 1859 as problems with the Indians decreased, and most of the civilians left when the soldiers departed. The post and the community - having rid itself of the name Scabtown was more than happy to assume the same name as the fort.

The fort was reactivated in 1868 as Indian raids became more frequent. The fort closed for good on June 30, 1883 - but with the Indian threat gone, residents stayed - unlike the previous closing^[1]

By the mid-1890s the community had 80 citizens, a weekly paper - and two hotels. In 1904 the school had twenty-eight students and two teachers.

By the 1920s, Fort McKavett's population was about 150 - falling to 136 during the years of the Great Depression and staying at that level until the 1960s. From a reported 103 in the 70s, it declined to a mere 45 by 1990.

[edit] Restoration

Restoration of the fort began in 1968 when the old school and one of the barracks was acquired and it was under the control of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The restoration continued and by 1990 seventeen buildings had been restored. Now known as Fort McKavett State Historic Site, the area is a day-use facility of 82 acres. The site is open daily to the public.