History of the Fort

After the annexation of Texas to the United States in the 1840's, the federal government became responsible for the protection of the frontier settlers from Indian raids. Several companies of Texas Rangers were stationed along the frontier. In December of 1847 a company commanded by Henry E. McCulloch established what became known as McCulloch's Station. When the station was chosen as a fort on March 13, 1849, Company A of the Second Dragoons took over their new assignment on March 18th when the site officially became a federal fort and was named Fort Croghan, in honor of Col. George Croghan, a hero at the battle of Fort Stephenson in the War of 1812.

The site included a hospital which was a large four room log building, officers quarters and a variety of utilitarian buildings. Officers quarters consisted of four log houses, each with two rooms separated by a hall. Buildings were made of oak covered with shingles. In 1852 the fort became the headquarters of the Second Dragoons.

The presence of troops encouraged settlers to make their homes in Burnet County. Among these were such county notables as Noah Smithwick*, Logan Vandeveer and Peter Kerr. By December of 1851 the population was large enough to establish a new county. Burnet County was formed with the county seat established near the location of the fort. The federal government abandoned Fort Croghan in December 1853 when it was thought that the population of the area was sufficient to hold its own against the remaining Indians.

"FORT CROGHAN." The Handbook of Texas Online. <http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/FF/qbf13.html> [Accessed Fri Feb 22 7:50:58 US/Central 2002 ].

*Noah Smithwick, One of the first Texas Rangers, The Evolution of a State, or Recollections of Old Texas Days (Austin: Gammel, 1900; rpt., Austin: University of Texas Press, 1983).