urn:taro:ojac.00010 Guide to the Fort Griffin Records Finding aid prepared by Daniel Alonzo. Robert E. Nail, Jr. Archives, September 13, 2006
Old Jail Art Center, 201 S. 2nd St., Albany, TX 76430
 Finding aid encoded by Daniel Alonzo on September 13, 2006 Overview of the Collection Robert E. Nail, Jr. Archives
Old Jail Art Center, 201 S. 2nd St., Albany, TX 76430
 Shackelford County Residents Fort Griffin Records 1877-2002 5 containers; 1.8 cubic feet Printed material, printed biographical material and maps about Fort Griffin, Texas and residents. AR.2005.007; AR.2005.017 The records are in English. Biographical Note

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.

Scope and Contents

Ft. Griffin records contain official and legal records, printed material and maps relating to the town and military outpost of Fort Griffin, Texas 1867-1881.

 Arrangement

The series is arranged by date with the exception of the Biographical Information and undated material, which are arranged alphabetically. Biographical Information may also contain correspondence. The remaining subseries, Military Post of Ft. Griffin, Town of Ft. Griffin, and Ft. Griffin State Park, are arranged by date.

 Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Organizations: Fort GriffinFort Griffin State Park Places: Fort GriffinAlbany, Shackelford County, Texas Subjects: American Civil War Fort Griffin Restrictions on Access

Open to the Public

 Alternative Form Available

Fort Griffin Records - Raw XML

 Acquisition Information

AR.2005.007; AR.2005.017

 Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1: Fort Griffin Records, 1877-1999 Official and Legal Records 4 1 Federal Government Records, 1877-1932 Correspondence Letters received by the appointment, commission, and personal branch, Adjutant General's Office, 1871-1894 4 2 Mackenzie, Ranald S. (Microfiche), 1862-1885 4 2 Lawton, Henry W. (Microfiche), 1866-1897 Printed Material 1 1 The Border Command, Col. Martin L. Crimmins, undated 1 2 Heron abstracts, undated 1 2 Miscellaneous notes, undated 1 3 Noted Frontier Towns, undated 1 4 Early Ft. Griffin called toughest of west Texas towns, Lynn County News, 1932 1 5 Assorted newspaper articles about Ft. Griffin, 1936-1969, undated 1 6 Ft. Griffin on the Texas Frontier, Book Review, W.G. Webb, Jr., 1956 1 7 Fort Griffin, Jim Koethe, 1960 1 8 A year at Ft. Griffin on the Texas Frontier, Vernon Lynch, 10/1965 1 9 Custer's last battle, information on cavalry of the period, 8/1966 1 10 Picturesque Old Ft. Griffin, True West, 10/1972 1 11 Outpost on the Clear Fort, Texas Highways, 10/1983 1 12 Ft. Griffin Bell Dedication, Nancy Smith Elementary, 1999 Biographical Information 2 1 Bad Nell, 1955 2 2 Big Nose Kate, 2002 2 3 Bragg, J.J., 1978 2 4 Brock, James L., 1941-1956 2 5 Brownlee, Andrew, 1875 2 6 Champlin, W.B., 1942-1944 2 7 Dasch, John Christopher, 1968 2 8 Deno, Lottie, (inventory of contents in folder), 1950-1971 2 9 Dillard, Henry, 1936 2 10 Grahame, James W., undated 2 11 Holiday, John H. (Doc), 1945-1993 2 12 Howarth, Jacob aka Howard, 1935-1949 2 13 Lee, Robert E., 1857 2 14 Mackenzie, Col. Ranald, 1967-1990 2 15 Martin, Bill and Minnie (Hurricane), 1991-1995 2 16 Martin, Herbert C., 1982 2 17 Prestidge, J.H., undated 2 18 Robuck, E.A., 1945; undated 2 19 Sands, Frank, 1956 2 20 Shell, Dr. C.C., undated 2 21 Shock, Floyd, 1930 2 22 Smith, H.C. (Hank), 1935-1976 2 23 Soule, George A., undated 2 24 Tasker, George, 1877 2 25 Vines, Ellen Winnie, 1963 2 26 Walsh-Tierney, Mary, 1950 2 27 Wilhelm, George, 1942-1945 2 28 Wilson, William, 1881 Maps 1 13 Buck Barry's Map of Texas, handwritten, undated 1 14 Ft. Griffin Area, Aerial Map, undated 1 15 Ft. Griffin Town, Etta Soule, undated 1 16 Ft. Griffin Military maps, W.B. Champlin, 1941, undated 1 17 Clear Fork Area, Frank and Ola Stribling , 1944 Subseries A: Military Post of Ft. Griffin Printed Material 1 18 Ft. Griffin military maps, Jacob Howarth, undated 3 4 Information on military buildings, undated 1 19 Official army register, 1856 1 20 Troops stationed at Ft. Griffin, 1867-1881, undated 1 21 Map of Chief Quartermaster Office, Department of Texas, 1871 1 22 Indian Records, 1910-1989; undated 1 23 Indian Incidents, 1937-1993; undated 3 1 Indian Records, 1956-1988; undated 3 2 Ft. Griffin military report 1870-1874, 1986 Subseries B: Town of Ft. Griffin Printed Material 3 3 Ft. Griffin Masonic Lodge, undated 3 4 Information on town buildings, undated 3 5 Neighborhood and Cemetery maps, undated 3 6 Notes on early day clothing, undated 3 7 Song Lyrics, Phillippi's Ball, undated 3 8 Flood, 6/20/1879 3 9 Buffalo hunting industry, 1936-1989; undated 3 10 Information on businesses and houses buildings, 1943-1993; undated 2 19 Abstracts of Title, 1956 Subseries C: Ft. Griffin State Park Printed Material 3 11 Ft. Griffin, 1936-1971 3 12 Special Re-evaluation Report, William E. Brown, 1965 3 13 A proposal for the restoration of Ft. Griffin, 1966 3 14 Texas Parks and Wildlife, 12/1966 3 15 Archaeological investigation, 1969 3 16 Archaeological investigation, 1975 Assorted Printed Material 3 17 Maps of Lambshead, undated 3 18 Frontier Army Wife , (Not Ft. Griffin), Shamrock, 1959