Adobe Walls, Texas

Adobe Walls, Texas
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark
Adobe Walls, Texas
Location	Hutchinson County, Texas
Coordinates	35°53′23″N 101°09′29″W / 35.88972°N 101.15806°W / 35.88972; -101.15806Coordinates: 35°53′23″N 101°09′29″W / 35.88972°N 101.15806°W / 35.88972; -101.15806
NRHP Reference #	78002958[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 22, 1978
Designated RTHL	1979

Not to be confused with Adobe Wells, Kansas

Adobe Walls is a ghost town in Hutchinson County, 17 miles (27 km) northeast of Stinnett, in the U.S. state of Texas. It was established in 1843 as a trading post for buffalo hunters and local Indian trade in the vicinity of the Canadian River. It later became a ranching community. Historically, Adobe Walls is the site of two decisive battles between Native Americans and Anglo forces. In the November of 1864 First Battle of Adobe Walls, Native Americans successfully repelled attacking troops led by Kit Carson. Ten years later, on June 27, 1874, known as the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, civilians at the Adobe Walls trading post successfully fought off an attack by a war party of mainly Comanche and Cheyenne warriors led by the Comanche chief, Quanah Parker.^[2] The second battle led to a military campaign which resulted in the relocation of Native Americans to Indian Territory in Oklahoma.

On May 22, 1978, the Adobe Walls site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in Texas, and in 1979 recognized as a Texas state archeological landmark.^[3]

Establishment

In 1843, the trading firm of Bent, St. Vrain and Company established a log structure trading site on what is now known as Bent Creek^[4] in Hutchinson County. In 1845, they replaced the log structure with an adobe brick 80 square feet (7.4 m²) single-entrance fort, with walls that rose 9 metres (30 ft). The fort was closed in 1848, due to Indian depredations. In 1849, William Bent found part of his livestock slaughtered by local Indians. He blew up the remains of the fort and departed the panhandle of Texas.^[5]

By the time of the renowned battles, the adobe structure was permanently abandoned, leaving only the crumbling adobe walls.^[6] In 1874, a new complex was erected north of the ruins by traders from Kansas.^[5]

"Bent's Creek, west of the Walls, flowed from the northwest in a southeasterly direction to the Canadian, passing close to the ruins of old Adobe Walls, about a mile and a quarter south of the new Adobe Walls...East of Adobe Walls lay the open valley of Adobe Walls Creek, terminating in a growth of willows, cottonwoods, hackberry, chinaberry, and stunted elms that fringed this stream...".^[7]:196

Dixon described the 1874 establishment, "All the buildings at Adobe Walls faced to the east, the main ones standing in a row. On the south was the store of Rath & Wright, with a great pile of buffalo hides at the rear. Then came Hanrahan's saloon, and fifty yards or so north of the latter was the store of Leonard & Myers, the building forming the northeast corner of the big picket stockade. In the southwest corner of the stockade was a mess house and the store as well. The blacksmith's shop was located just north of Hanrahan's saloon. The adobe walls of the main buildings were about two feet thick."^{[7]:195–196}

The battles of Adobe Walls

First battle

In November 1864, an estimated 3,000 Kiowa, Comanche and Plains Apache repelled an attacking 372 Army troops under Kit Carson in what became known as the First Battle of Adobe Walls.^[8][9]

Second battle

On June 27, 1874, known as the Second Battle of Adobe Walls, 28 trading post civilians repelled 700 attacking Native Americans led by Isa-tai and Quanah Parker.^[10]

Post battle era

Following the battles and relocation of Native American tribes, buffalo hunters would still come, but the herds had thinned. The Turkey Track Ranch was established, but the population of the area remained sparse.^[11] Human remains were left scattered on the battlefields.^[12]

In 1883, civilian Medal of Honor winner Billy Dixon (1850–1913) hired on at the Turkey Track Ranch. He filed for two sections of land at Bent Creek and erected a log house. In 1902, Dixon and his family moved to Plemons.^[13][14] The first school building was destroyed by fire in 1920, and a temporary school was held on the second floor of Billy Dixon's former home at Bent Creek, until a new one would be erected.^[5]

Dixon was appointed the first postmaster when Adobe Walls received its post office on August 3, 1887. Dixon ran the post office out of his home, where he and business partner S.G. Carter also had a store. Dixon served as postmaster until 1901, at which time Otto Anderson was appointed postmaster. The post office was in operation until 1921, when it was closed and mail service moved to Plemons.^[15]

Adobe Walls was a polling site, and voting there in the 19th Century was a multi-day community event that included barbecue and accompaniments.^[12] Today, Adobe Walls is a ghost town.

In 1923 the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society became owners of the remains of the 1874 trading post, and conducted archeological excavations in the 1970s.^[16]

Notable persons

• Quanah Parker Comanche warrior who lead the raid of the Second Battle of Adobe Walls
• Billy Dixon (1850–1913) Medal of Honor awarded November 4, 1874, for gallantry in action on September 12, 1874 (Buffalo Wallow Fight).^[17] In 1916, Dixon's was one of nine hundred medals withdrawn as "unwarranted". The U.S. Army Board of Correction of Records restored the medal in 1989.^[18]

Additional sourcing

• Baker, T. Lindsay; Harrison, Billy R; Price, B. Byron (2001). Adobe Walls: The History and Archaeology of the 1874 Trading Post. TAMU Press. ISBN 978-1-58544-176-1. 

References

Municipalities and communities of Hutchinson County, Texas, United States County seat: Stinnett Cities Borger Fritch‡ Stinnett Town Sanford CDP Lake Meredith Estates Unincorporated community Pringle Ghost towns Adobe Walls Phillips Plemons Whittenburg Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties