The Fort Leaton State Historic Site is located on

Farm to Market Road 170 Farm to Market Road 170 (FM 170) is a highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in Presidio and Brewster counties in Texas. The route, known locally as the River Road, runs along the United States side of the Rio Gr ...

, in

Presidio County Presidio County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,131. Its county seat is Marfa. The county was created in 1850 and later organized in 1875. Presidio County (K-5 in Texas topological ind ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

. The original adobe structure was a private residence dating back to the early 19th century. It was purchased in 1848 by Benjamin Leaton, who adapted it as a fortress. Fort Leaton was the Presidio County original seat of government. Through murders, financial difficulties and abandonment, the structure changed hands numerous times. In 1967, it was deeded to the state of Texas and opened to the public in 1978 as a Texas State Historic Site. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places listings in Presidio County, Texas This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places in Presidio County, Texas This is intended to be a complete list of properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Presidio County, Texas. There are six d ...

on June 18, 1973.

History

Fort Leaton is believed to have been built as an adobe residence in the 1830s by Juan Bustillos. In 1848, it was acquired by Benjamin Leaton, who lived in the structure and also used it as his trading post and fortress. Benjamin Leaton was a trader, freight hauler along the

Chihuahua Trail The Camino Real de Tierra Adentro ( en, Royal Road of the Interior Land), also known as the Silver Route, was a Spanish road between Mexico City and San Juan Pueblo (''Ohkay Owingeh''), New Mexico, USA, that was used from 1598 to 1882. It was ...

, and a bounty hunter paid by various local governments in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

for each scalp taken from an indigenous person. He also traded munitions to the

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

and

Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...

for any stolen cattle they brought him. When

was established in 1850, Fort Leaton was its first seat of government. Leaton died in 1851, and his widow married Edward Hall who continued operating the freight business from the fort. Hall became financially indebted to Leaton's scalp hunting partner John Burgess. Hall defaulted on his debt to Burgess in 1864, and was murdered. Burgess took over the fort, and was in turn murdered by Leaton's son in 1875. The Burgess family remained in the fort until they abandoned it in 1926. The fort was purchased by Marfa State Bank and a private citizen in the 1930s and donated to Presidio County. An attempt at restoration was begun, but adequate financing never materialized. The site was then purchased by a private citizen and donated to the state of

. In 1968, the site was designated Fort Leaton State Historic Site. It opened to the public in 1978. Fort Leaton was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Presidio County, Texas on June 18, 1973.

Facilities

Fort Leaton State Historic Site is on Farm to Market Road 170, southeast of Presidio, Texas. The site contains historic ruins, nature trails, and exhibits. There is a picnic area and public restrooms. The Texas State Park Store gift shop is located on the grounds. The

Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center Barton may refer to: Places Australia * Barton, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Division of Barton, an electoral district in New South Wales * Barton, Victoria, a locality near Moyston Canada * Barton, Newfoundland and L ...

serves as the visitor center for both Ft. Leaton State Historic Site and

Big Bend Ranch State Park Big Bend Ranch State Park is a state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster and Presidio counties, Texas. It is the largest state park in Texas. The closest major town is Presidio, Texas, where the state park's head office is located.

. Wireless Internet Access (Wi-Fi) is available in some areas of this site.

Hours, admission

Fort Leaton is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 7 days a week, but closed on Christmas Day. Entrance fee applies. Special event rental fees by prior arrangement. Guided tours are available for an additional fee. Group tours need to be coordinated in advance with the Park.

References

External links

TDPW Fort Leaton official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leaton, Fort State Historic Site Forts in Texas History museums in Texas Protected areas of Presidio County, Texas Texas state historic sites Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas Protected areas established in 1978 Museums in Presidio County, Texas Adobe buildings and structures National Register of Historic Places in Presidio County, Texas

History

Facilities

Hours, admission

See also

References

External links