Markers (click on a topic to jump to that section.)
Arroyo de Juan Lorenzo | Fort McKavett, C.S.A. | Site of Fort McKavett | Jones, Sheriff John L. | Menard County | Site of Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba | Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba | Paso de la Santa Cruz | Pegleg Crossing on the San Saba | Pioneer Rest Cemetery | Puerto de Baluartes (Haven of the Strong Points) | Real Presidio de San Saba | Sentry Building
Uncommemorated and Unmapped Sites
Wilson S. Keith
Uncommemorated Active Battle Map (Stories below are on map.)
Mrs. Dorothy Field | Tullos B. Smith | San Saba River Raid During the Summer of 1866 | W.W. Lewis | Frank Johnson
Arroyo de Juan Lorenzo
Marker Title: Arroyo de Juan Lorenzo
Address: US 90 at Celery Creek Bridge
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: on US 190 at the Celery Creek Bridge, about 1 1/2 miles
west of Menard.
Marker Text: Name used by Spaniards of Presidio de San Saba (in existence
from 1757 to 1770) for this stream now called Celery Creek. Stone to
build Presidio was quarried from bluffs along the creek, and deep banks
let hostile Indians approach undiscovered, to attack the Presidio, half
a mile to the southwest.
Fort McKavett, C.S.A.
Marker Title: Fort McKavett, C.S.A.
Address: Canal and Gay St., on Courthouse lawn
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1963
Marker Location: Courthouse lawn (corner of Canal and Gay Streets) Menard.
Marker Text: Located 21 miles west. Upon secession, Confederate cavalry
occupied this post to give protection against Indians. Early in 1862
this Fort confined group of Union troops from surrendered U.S. forts
who were seeking to leave the state at start of Civil War. Permanent
personnel left the post in April 1862 when the frontier defense line
was pulled back more than 60 miles east. However scouting parties and
patrols of confederate and state troops used the fort intermittently
in aggressive warfare to keep Indians near their camps and away from
settlements and to check on invasion by Union forces. Usually supplying
their own mounts, guns and sustenance, these men guarded the frontier
until war's end. Texas had 2000 miles of coastline and frontier to defend
from Union attack, Indian raids, marauders. Defense lines were set to
give maximum protection with the few men left in the state. One line
stretched from El Paso to Brownsville. Another had posts set a day's
horseback ride apart from Red River to the Rio Grande. Fort McKavett
and other U.S. forts used by scouting parties lay in a line between.
Behind these lines and to the east organized militia, citizens posses
from nearby settlements backed the Confederate and state troops to curb
Indian raids. A memorial to Texans who served the confederacy Erected
by the State of Texas 1963.
Site of Fort McKavett
Marker Title: Site of Fort McKavett
Address: FM 864 at Fort McKavett, off US 190
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: at entrance to Ft. McKavett from Menard take US 190
17 miles west to FM 864, take 864 6 miles southwest to Fort McKavett.
Marker Text: Established March 14, 1852 by the United States war department
as a protection to frontier settlers against hostile Indians. Named
in honor of Captain Henry McKavett, who fell at the Battle of Monterrey,
September 21, 1846. Evacuated by federal troops, March 22, 1859. Reoccupied
April 1, 1868. Abandoned June 30, 1883.
Sheriff John L. Jones
Marker Title: Sheriff John L. Jones
Year Marker Erected: 1961
Marker Location: Not Located.
Marker Text: "Here on Feb. 6, 1897 Sheriff John L. Jones, ranchman
John Gardner, deputies Tom Taylor, John Turman, Oscar Latta, Button
Frazier and Bud Owens, wiped out the last of the Dalton gang, killed
Jourd Nite and Jim Crane, shot and captured Jim Nite. Such officers
and men as these brought law and order to this section of Texas."
This monument erected by the descendants of John L. Jones. John Gardner
and Tom Taylor 1961.
Menard County
Marker Title: Menard County
Address: US 83, N of Menard
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: about 31/2 miles north of Menard on US 83 in Roadside
Park.
Marker Text: Formed from Bexar county Created: January 22, 1858 Organized:
June 25, 1866 Named in honor of Michel Branamour Menard 1805-1856 signer
of the Texas Declaration of Independence member of the Texas Congress
founder of Galveston Menard, the county seat
Site of Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba
Marker Title: Site of Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba
Address: FM 2092, E of Menard
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: on FM 2092 about 3 miles east of Menard.
Marker Text: Founded among the Lipan Apache Indians by Franciscan Missionaries
in 1757 through the financial aid of the Count of Regla. Sacked and
left in ruins by the Comanches in 1758. Here perished Padres Alonso
Giraldo de Terreros and Jose Santiesteban, Martyrs to the Christian
cause.
Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba
Marker Title: Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba
Address: Off US 190 at Menard Country Club
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1962
Marker Location: on grounds of Menard Country Club about 1/2 mile off
US 190, about 1 1/2 miles west of Menard.
Marker Text: This building was originally built as a presidio or fort
and the Mission was apart from it. After the Mission was attacked and
burned by Indians, all personnel moved into the presidio.
Paso de la Santa Cruz
Marker Title: Paso de la Santa Cruz
Address: US 190/83 intersection
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: near the intersection of US 190 and US 83 in Menard.
Marker Text: Spot where in 1753 Juan Galvan, Spanish explorer, put up
a huge cross, to show his choice of site for Mission San Saba. Indians
gathered at the cross, remaining to participate in the first known Christian
worship service in this area. The Mission, 2 miles east, and the River
Ford were both named for the cross.
Pegleg Crossing on the San Saba
Marker Title: Pegleg Crossing on the San Saba
Address: SH 29, about 10 mi. SE of Menard
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1970
Marker Location: on SH 29 row, about 10 miles southeast of Menard.
Marker Text: An hourglass-shaped pass through the hills were McDougal
Creek joins San Saba River. For years a favoNative American campground, it
entered written history, 1732, as site of Spanish-Apache battle. Saw
passage of adventurers, mustang hunters, Indian fighters, German settlers,
gold-seekers. Probably named by landowner Wilhelm Harlen for one-legged
land commissioner T.W. Ward. Crossing became station on stage line.
Gained notoriety for many hold-ups that occurred at "Robbers' Roost"
(1 mile west). Pegleg served in later era as crossing on Great Western
Cattle Trail.
Pioneer Rest Cemetery
Marker Title: Pioneer Rest Cemetery
Address: US 83, south side of Menard
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1973
Marker Location: on US 83 (west side of road) on southern edge of Menard.
Marker Text: Burial plot was begun by Adam Bradford, who buried his
father, Jack Bradford, here in 1863. As the town and cemetery grew,
the city bought the tract from Mrs. Gustav E. Schleicher in 1904. Fence
surrounding cemetery was built of stone from the old courthouse and
jail, razed in 1931, and reputed to have been in the original structure
of nearby San Luis de Las Amarillas (Built by the Spanish in 1757).
Final resting place for many area pioneers, including soldiers, cowboys,
gamblers, preachers, civil war veterans, Indian fighters, and Texas
Rangers.
Puerto de Baluartes (Haven of the Strong Points)
Marker Title: Puerto de Baluartes (Haven of the Strong Points)
Address: US 83, 1 mi. S of Menard
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1964
Marker Location: on US 83, 1 mile south of Menard in roadside park.
Marker Text: In this pass between the hills--location of present day
Menard--a site for an important Spanish Mission to the Apaches was chosen
in 1754 by Don Pedro de Rabago y Teran, second explorer sent on the
assignment by the viceroy of New Spain. Suitable to be fortified and
farmed, this pass had its mission built in 1757.
Real Presidio de San Saba
Marker Title: Real Presidio de San Saba
Address: US 190, at Menard Country Club
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1936
Marker Location: 1 1/2 miles west of Menard off US 190 about 1/2 mile
(on grounds of Menard Country Club).
Marker Text: Originally established on the San Gabriel River as the
Presidio of San Francisco Xavier in 1751 moved to the present site in
1757 as a protection to the Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba known as
the Presidio de San Luis de Las Amarillas 1757-1761. After March 1761
the name was real Presidio de San Saba the stone building was completed
in 1761.
Sentry Building
Marker Title: Sentry Building
Address: US 190, W of Menard at Fort McKavett
City: Menard
Year Marker Erected: 1968
Marker Location: in Ft. McKavett from Menard take US 190 17 miles west
to FM 864, take 864 southwest 6 miles to Fort McKavett.
Marker Text: Officer-of-the-day station and sentry post on north road
to Fort Concho. Constructed 1852, by 8th infantry; Fort McKavett provided
protection for settlers from Indians. Guadalupe River cypress with native
limestone. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark--1968
W.W. Lewis and Others Fight
A short time after the preceding engagement (Dan Roberts Shoots Indian Chief), W.W. Lewis, Jack Hawkins, Ed Sieker, N.O. Reynolds and others, ran on Indians in the rough territory, somewhere south and west of Menard. During the fighting, Ed Sieker killed an Indian about one hundred and fifty yards away.
Note: Author interviewed: W.W. Lewis, mentioned above.
The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell.