Red River Station is a

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

south of the Red River at Salt Creek in northwestern Montague County, Texas, United States.

History

Native Americans long used the fertile areas near the Red River for hunting. In 1859-1860, Americans began settling the area as the population of Native Americans dwindled. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, Confederate troops were stationed near Red River Station and patrolled along the south side of the Red River, the border between

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

and the

Indian Territory Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United States, ...

. In December 1863, a destructive Indian raid occurred, which spread from the Indian Territory, across the Red River at Red River Station, through Montague County, and into Cooke County, Texas. The Indians were between 200 and 300 strong, and massacred a number of settler families. They were chased by the Confederate military before disappearing back into the Indian Territory. After the Civil War, cattle drives began moving from south and central Texas to

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

, and Red River Station was the last stop in Texas on the Chisolm Trail. Virtually all cattle driven along the Chisolm Trail crossed at Red River Station. The town grew and citizens applied for a post office in 1873, initially naming it Salt Creek. In 1884, the post office's name changed to Red River Station, but the post office and the community were short-lived. When the Gainesville, Henrietta and Western Railway (1886–87) crossed northern Montague County, its right-of-way crossed south of Red River Station, through present-day Nocona and Belcherville. As towns sprang up along the new rail line and with the end to the cattle drives, Red River Station faced extinction. A

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

also struck in the late 1880s, destroying much of the community. Rather than rebuild, citizens moved south to the communities along the new rail line and Red River Station again became farm land. In 1887, the post office closed and the community ceased to exist. Today, nothing remains of the former community except the cemetery.

Education

Red River Station is served by the Prairie Valley Independent School District.

Historical landmarks

Red River Station received a historic marker in 1963 commemorating the settlement established on the Red River. In 2009, a marker was unveiled for the Chisholm Trail. Red River Station Cemetery is located west of Salt Creek and due south of the Red River.

Red River Station Cemetery

File:Red_River_Station_Cemetery.jpg File:Red_River_Station_Cemetery_2.jpg File:Red_River_Station_Cemetery_3.jpg File:Red_River_Station_Cemetery_4.jpg

References

{{Montague County, Texas Geography of Montague County, Texas Ghost towns in North Texas