The post which became Fort Griffin was established in the summer of 1867 by companies of the 6th Cavalry. The original site was in the bottoms of the Clear Fork of the Brazos River, a few miles downstream from the 1850s site of Camp Cooper. In 1868, however, the post was moved away from the unhealthful bottoms to an adjacent plateau.
The town which grew up below the Fort came into its prime during the late 1870s, when the vast herds of buffalo brought a rush of hunters to the Flat. In addition, the Western Trail, which passed nearby the villages of both Albany and Griffin, brought a heavy traffic of cattle and cowmen along with it.
The soldiers who were stationed at the Fort were for the most part Northerners, but sometimes individuals even hailed from places as diverse as Prussia, the West Indies, Ireland, England, and Germany. Some regiments and soldiers only stayed a few months, while others could remain for several years.
The Tonkawa Indians were a small, formerly nomadic, tribe native to the Texas heartland. Choosing to try and live at peace with the ever-expanding Anglo-American culture, they settled in the shadow of the Fort. For a time they were even enlisted as scouts, frequently accompanying groups of both settlers and soldiers in pursuit of raiding Comanches.
Cowboys, bison hunters, and soldiers alike filled the saloons, gambling halls, and brothels in the town nightly. The rush of trade helped sustain numerous local businesses, including mercantile and grocery shops, hardware stores, hotels and boarding houses, blacksmiths, barbers, butchers, druggists, wheelwrights, and more.
In addition to the more transient individuals who came and went through the Clear Fork area, there were also those who had come to the area to build a more permanent settlement and make their living off the land. These inhabitants were predominantly ranching folk and numerous families established deep roots, remaining in the Clear Fork area and working the land for many generations.
Molly Sauder, Archivist and Librarian
