Fort Lancaster State Historic Site

Fort Lancaster is located in the heart of West Texas, 120 miles south of Midland, 120 miles southwest of San Angelo, and 275 miles west of San Antonio. The post once protected the San Antonio-El Paso Trade Route. Spanning 82 acres in the Pecos River valley, Fort Lancaster State Historic Site commemorates the vestiges of one of several posts established in the 1850s that played an important role in westward expansion by providing escorts for mail carriers, wagon trains, and settlers on the San Antonio–El Paso Road en route to California. Today, visitors wander through ruins imagining the once-impressive establishment of 25 permanent buildings—including a blacksmith shop, hospital, sutler’s store, and bakery—and enjoy the sights, sounds, and wildlife of West Texas. - See more at: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/historic-sites/fort-lancaster-state-historic-site#sthash.mlPRAUBc.dpuf