Fort Clark, Texas

Fort Clark was a frontier fort located just off U.S. Route 90 near Brackettville, in the county of Kinney, in the U.S. state of Texas. It later became the headquarters for the 2nd Cavalry Division. The Fort Clark Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 1979. The Commanding Officer's Quarters at Fort Clark was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1988. The Fort Clark Guardhouse became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1962. The Fort Clark Officers' Row Quarters was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1991.Old Fort Clark Guardhouse MuseumThe Old Fort Clark Guardhouse Museum is operated by the Fort Clark Historical Society. Located in the historic guardhouse, the museum features exhibits about the fort's history, including uniforms, weapons, photographs and memorabilia. There is a special focus on artifacts from several African American military units, including the Black Seminole Scouts and the Buffalo Soldiers of the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry.FoundingThe land that became Fort Clark was owned by Samuel A. Maverick at the time its potential for military development was recognized by William H.C. Whiting and William F. Smith in 1849. Whiting and Smith were actually engaged in surveying the path of the San Antonio-El Paso Road when they came upon the Las Moras Springs ("Mulberry Springs") at the headwaters of Las Moras Creek. They told their superiors that they believed the high ground above the springs would be an appropriate placement for a fort. The fort was strategically located as anchor to the cordon of army posts that had been established along the southwest Texas border after the Mexican War. The fort's purpose was to guard the Mexican border, to protect the military road to El Paso, and to defend against Indian depredations arising from either side of the Rio Grande.