Ruins of Fort Lancaster
Ozona, Crockett County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established in 1855 by the United States Government as a protection to travelers and mail on the overland route from San Antonio to San Diego. Abandoned in 1861. Reoccupied in 1868 for a short time. Erected by the State of Texas 1936
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The United States Army established Fort Lancaster in 1855 to guard travelers and mail carriers along the rugged overland road linking San Antonio to San Diego. Abandoned in 1861 as the Civil War drew troops away, it was briefly reoccupied in 1868 before falling into ruin. Its stone remnants mark the hard, isolated work of protecting one of the era's great transcontinental routes.
Why it matters
Frontier posts like Fort Lancaster made overland travel and mail possible across West Texas, knitting a young nation to its far Pacific reaches.
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Related events
- · San Antonio–San Diego mail route
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
One Fourth-Mile North to Ruins of Fort Lancaster
Ozona, TX
Established by the U.S. Army in 1855 above the junction of Live Oak Creek and the Pecos River, Fort Lancaster guarded travelers and mail on the long overland road between San Antonio and the far West. Garrisoned by the Second Cavalry, it was abandoned in March 1861 after Texas seceded from the Union, then briefly reoccupied by federal troops in 1868. Nearby, the deep ruts of one of the most-used pioneer fords of the Pecos are still visible where wagon wheels dragged down the hillside.
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