Just after the American Civil War settlers began to make their way west for various reasons. The Shackelford County area of west Texas offered many miles of grassland for grazing cattle. Fort Griffin was established in 1867 to protect settlers from the Comanche and Kiowa. The Fort was abandoned in 1881 following the removal of said Indian nations from the area. In addition to its official purpose, Ft. Griffin also served as escort to wagon trains, offered protection to buffalo hunters and ranchers, surveyed and mapped the wilderness, strung telegraph lines, and gave law and order to the town of Ft. Griffin.
Before law and order took hold in the town of Ft. Griffin, it was considered one of the wildest of the wild west towns. The residents of Ft. Griffin saw legends such as Bat Masterson, Pat Garrett, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, John Sleman, Lottie Deno, Big Nose Kate, and Hurricane Bill. The town was also the headquarters for the buffalo trade in the area. The citizenry of the time envisioned more than just a collection of merchants, soldiers, and outlaws. Residents of Ft. Griffin soon built a school, a Masonic Lodge, organized a county government, and began to chase out the outlaws. They even hosted the second annual meeting of the North Texas Cattle Raisers Association. In the end, however, the town was abandoned shortly after the Fort was closed in 1881.
From the guide to the Fort Griffin Records AR. 2005. 007; AR. 2005. 017., 1877-2002, (Robert E. Nail, Jr. Archives)
