General William Tecumseh Sherman once called this fort along the San Saba River ‘the prettiest post in Texas.’ Today, Fort McKavett State Historical Park, about 75 miles southeast of San Angelo, preserves the striking ruins of a once-important fort.
Fort McKavett was established by the Eighth Infantry of the US Army in 1852 as a bulwark against Comanche and Apache raids. The fort saw its peak in the mid-1870s, when it housed more than 400 troops and many civilians. Some of the 25 buildings have been restored; the grounds are alive with wildflowers for much of the year. Check out the boiled turnips recipe in the excellent museum.
