Fort Croghan Grounds and Museum, Burnet

Fort Croghan was the third of the first four forts established by the United States government to protect settlers from hostile Indians along the Texas frontier. From its establishment on March 18, 1849 by Lt. C.H. Taylor (Company A, Second Dragoons) until it was abandoned in 1855, Fort Croghan was home to Company C, 8th Infantry, U.S.A. (mounted) and eventually became the headquarters of the Second Dragoon Regiment.
Part of a chain of forts extending from Fort Worth to Fort Inge near present-day Uvalde, the fort was named for Colonel George Croghan. The fort originally covered some 50acre near the present day city of Burnet, Texas, extending from Hamilton Creek up and over Post Mountain. Today a small section exists due to the efforts of the Burnet County Historical Society who raised money in the 1960s to purchase this portion of the old fort.
In the 1840s, upon the annexation of Texas to the United States, the federal government became responsible for the protection of frontier settlers from Indian raids. Several companies of Texas Rangers, financed by the federal government, were stationed along the frontier. In December 1847, a company of Rangers under the command of Henry Eustace McCulloch took up a position about three miles (5 km) south of present-day Burnet. Samuel E. Holland purchased a 1280acre grant there in 1848, including the land on which the Ranger station was located. His residence built on that land is said to have been the first permanent home in Burnet County. 1. The indigenous peoples of the Americas had occupied this region for thousands of years, but did not build or live in permanent homes, theirs being a migratory culture. Take a look at our Burnet route planning site to schedule your visit to Fort Croghan Grounds and Museum and learn about what else to see and do during your holiday.