We had a quick, uneventful drive from Big Bend to the small town of Alpine this morning. Good weather, good road conditions, and very light traffic made for a most pleasant drive. Our next destination, Carlsbad Caverns, was a little farther than we like to travel in one day. We decided to stop in Alpine to take in Fort Davis.
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| Enlisted men's barrack |
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| Much of the original fort is in ruins |
Fort Davis was established in 1854 as a military outpost to protect travelers along this section of the San Antonio-El Paso Road from Comanche and Apache attack. The Fort was in operation until 1891 except for a few years during the Civil War, at which time it was abandoned. After the Indian Wars, soldiers took on local community projects such as road repairs and railroad surveys. By 1891 the Army had begun to consolidate some of the many forts which had been established along the Overland Trail in West Texas and Fort Davis was once again abandoned. The Fort was named for Jefferson Davis while he was still working for the US government, not the CS government.
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| Officer's Row |
We spent a couple of enjoyable hours touring this well preserved Fort. Many of the structures, having been constructed of adobe, are in ruins. Many others had the adobe covered in plaster and some with stone. These buildings are being restored by the park service.
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| Post hospital |
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| Ruins of the chapel |
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| Two-story officer's quarters |
On our way back to Alpine, we stopped at the grocery. That was one too many activities for today. We were both a little grumpy by the time we got home. We are going to have a relaxing evening tonight and then resume our journey north tomorrow.
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