Belknap is a
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...
in
Young County,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It was the first
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Young County and was located across from
Fort Belknap.
[Baker, T. Lindsay]
''Ghost Towns of Texas''.
Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1986. Google Books. Web. 19 Aug. 2013.
History
Belknap was built about one-half mile east of Fort Belknap. In 1856, it became Young County's first county seat and acquired a post office on August 14. The townspeople traded with the fort and travelers. Beginning in 1858, the Butterfield-Overland Mail ran a trail through the town. By that time, 150 people lived in Belknap, and the town included a saloon, the post office, and several stores. During the Civil War, the population plummeted. The fort was largely abandoned and the residents feared Indian attacks. On November 5, 1866, the post office halted operations.
In 1867, federal troops returned to the fort, but abandoned it 5 months later due to low water in the area.
By 1870, only 70 people lived in Belknap. The post office returned on January 20, 1874. However, later that year,
Graham
Graham and Graeme may refer to:
People
* Graham (given name), an English-language given name
* Graham (surname), an English-language surname
* Graeme (surname), an English-language surname
* Graham (musician) (born 1979), Burmese singer
* Clan ...
became the new county seat. The military post closed in 1876. By 1880, only 40 people remained in the town, but the post office wasn't disbanded until 1908. While the fort was restored in 1936, the town was never recreated.
Today, the graveyard and a few houses are all that remains of the town.
[Chenoweth, Henry]
"Belknap - Texas Ghost Town."
Ghost Towns. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2013.
Geography
Belknap is located about half a mile east of Fort Belknap, in Young County, Texas, United States, and near the border of a military reservation. It is about 15 miles northwest of the Brazos River Indian Reservation. Little of the town remains today.
References
{{Young County, Texas
Populated places in Young County, Texas
Ghost towns in West Texas