Fort Phantom Hill
Historic Fort Phantom Hill, the largest military site in Texas — located at 10818 FM600, Abilene, TX 79601. It was constructed in the early 1850s and served as a way station for the Southern Overland Mail Stagecoach Line. It also served as a sub-post for nearby Fort Griffin. The fort was abandoned in 1854 and is now a popular tourist destination. You can visit the site any time of the day or night. It is located 11 miles north of Interstate 20 on FM 600. Click to view other places to see.
The original Fort Phantom Hill was constructed in 1858. In 1881, it became Way Station Number 54 on the Butterfield Overland Mail Route. It also served as a subpost for the Texas Rangers during the Civil War. In addition to its military purpose, Fort Phantom Hill was a buying point for buffalo hides. For a brief time, the fort was the county seat of Jones County, but was ultimately seized by the Anson tribe on November 14, 1881. Today, Fort Phaeton is privately owned and operated.
The site was once a military post. It was a five-company fort, which was abandoned in 1854. In the years that followed, Fort Phantom Hill served as a stopover for travelers from the east and was eventually incorporated into a town. It served as a trading post for buffalo hides, a saloon, and a hotel. It is now a national historic site thanks to land owners who have preserved the ruins.
While a private enterprise, Historic Fort Phantom Hill is still owned and operated by the city of Abilene. It is located 11 miles north of Interstate 20 and on the Texas Forts Trail on FM 2833. There are informational pamphlets available about the fort, as well as several historical markers that show major structures. The old post was home to the city of Anson, which was the county seat for five months. However, on November 14th, 1881, the Anson government seized it.
Historic Fort Phantom Hill is situated on private land, but it is still open to the public. Three stone buildings and several foundations are still standing, as is the water reservoir two miles south of the fort. It is important to note that the fort was a part of the Texas Forts Trail, a highway that includes over 650 miles of historic forts in West Central Texas. The museum is part of the Trail and is a great way to learn about the history of the fort.
The fort was built after the Indian Wars and became an important buying point for buffalo hides. In 1880, the town was home to 500 people. The fort was later made a sub-post of Fort Griffin in Anson, Texas. After the army left, the fort became a thriving town with a hotel and other amenities. It was an important stop for commerce, but by the late 1890s, the fort was abandoned. Read about this place too.