Six Miles East to Site of Little River Fort
Belton, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
A stockade and blockhouse of the Republic of Texas. Built in November, 1836, by a unit of some 20 Rangers under Lt. George B. Erath (soldier-statesman for whom Erath County was named). By Christmas they had erected 7 or 8 cabins, a blockhouse and a picket stockade, which enclosed about 1/2 acre of land. A spring nearby supplied water. Rations included an ear of corn daily, game, honey and a little coffee. The Rangers withdrew about May, 1837. Later the fort was used by settlers, hunters and adventurers. The remains of the structures were removed, 1840's. (1969)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In November 1836, some twenty Rangers under Lt. George B. Erath built this Republic of Texas outpost, raising seven or eight cabins, a blockhouse, and a picket stockade around a half-acre near a spring. Rations were spare — an ear of corn a day, plus game, honey, and a little coffee. The Rangers withdrew by mid-1837, and settlers and hunters later used the site before its remains were cleared in the 1840s.
Why it matters
Frontier forts like this one marked the fragile, hungry edge of the young Republic of Texas, holding a line of settlement against a still-contested borderland.
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Related people
- · George B. Erath
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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