Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-28
TEXAS TO OBSERVE
FOUNDING OF POST
Program Planned for October
! to Celebrate 18th Year
of Fort Davis.
special pispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
FORT DAVIS, Texas, August 28.--
Plans are being made for the celebra-
ton on October Of the seventy-fifth
anniversary of the founding of Fort
Davis. 1t was when Jefferson Davis
was Secretary Of War that an appro-
priation was made by Congress for
The United States 9th Infantry was
the first military unit to garrison the
new post.
In 1891 the old fort was abandoned
and the land and buildings comprising
the reservation were sold to private
interests. The stone and adobe build-
ing. however, remain in good state
of preservation, and the former frontier
army post has changed but little in ap-
pearance since the time 1t was the
scene OF lively military operations.
Post High In Mountains.
The post is located in the Davis
Mountains at an altitude of $500 feet.
The climate is delightful, and there has
been built up adjacent to the former
military reservation the little town of
Fort Davis, favorite Summer resort of
many people Of Texas.
one of the most noted Government
military posts in the Southwest. It
was from Fort Davis that government
troops conducted their campaigns
against the hostile Apache and other
tribes OF Indians who overran this re-
gion in the early days. 1t was not
until 1883 that the last OF these war
ring bands of Indians were driven out.
The Apaches transferred their opera
tions from Western Texas to Arizona
and the troops changed their base of
operations in order TO cope with them.
The troops at Fort Davis were called
upon to make many long scouts after
raiding bands Of Indians. 1t was many
years after the establishment of the
post here that railroad was built
through this remote part OF the coun-
try. It Is 81 miles from Alpine, on
the Southern Pacific Railway, to Fort
Davis. The road to Alpine is through
beautiful and picturesque canyon.
High mountains extend In all directions
as far as the eye can reach.
Highest Peak in State Near.
Livermore Peak. the highest noun
tain in Texas. is l8 miles west OF Fort
Davis. It's height was measured as
years ago by Maj. Livermore Of the
United States Army, and found to be
1880 feet. It's sides are heavily tim
bered with pine. and the government
operated two Sawmills in the forest
for several years.
part of the road through the can
yon between Alpine and Fort Davis
was built by Negro soldiers, under
direction of the Government military
authorities at a cost of many thousand
dollars.
The post buildings are in the shadow
Of precipitous mountain. 1t is related
that when Indians we're constant an
noyance to the few white settlers OF
this region daring warriors stood upon
the mountain heights close to the post
and showered bullets down upon the
quarters of the officers and soldiers.
picking off all who ventured from the
buildings.
On such occasions the soldiers would
have to make long detours in order to
reach the mountain heights from which
the Indians made the attack. The In-
dams knew that their position was
secure and that they could get far
away before the soldiers could reach
their trail
The Indians were giving much trou-
BILE during the periods that Shafter and
Lawton were stationed at Fort Davis,
and these officers we're in command of
them. They secuted a wide sector OF
the frontier and finally brought about
peace.
In the height of these Indian troubles
as many as 10 companies were sta
toned at Fort Davis at one time and
we're kept constantly busy.
Once Typical Frontier Town.
In these stirring times Fort Davis
as 90 saloons were running. To each
saloon was attached q gambling house,
where soldiers were soon parted from
their meager wages. The crumbling
ruins of rows of the one-story adobe
buildings in which these saloons and
dives were located extend for several
blocks up the street leading from the
main entrance of the post.
The soldiers at Fort Davis served as
a protection to the travellers from the
East to California. If the Indians were
escorts of troops frequently accom-
panied the wagon trains of travellers
across the dangerous stretches OF coun-
try.
The mountains afforded the Indians
a good place of refuge after their raids.
and the work of Kidding the country of
them was hard.
There are many caves In the noun
tains about Fort Davis, and interesting
legends are told of these dark and
grewSome places. Several years ago a
cave was discovered in the side Of
canyon leading off from Musquiz Greek.
This cave was ACCESSIBLE only from the
high cliffs above by means of a narrow,
winding trail. j. S. Bonner of Austin,
who discovered and explored the
cavern. found in one room the skele-
tons Of more than score or human
beings. The appearance OF the re-
mains and their surroundings led him
to believe that they were Indians. IT.
is supposed that they were killed by
United States troops. Fights with the
redskins were so common in those days
that few reports OF an official charac-
ter were made Of these encounters.
The Indians looked upon the Fort
Davis region as their own hunting
grounds, and they resisted for many
years the advent of the white men into
the favored territory. Deer, antelope,
bear and other wild game were plenti-
full. and are still so, and the range was
an inviting one for the Indians.