Fort Selden is a not very far from where we’re staying. From the RV resort we took highway 28, turned left and then basically followed the road out of town through pecan groves and farm land with the Rio Grande on our left.
The fort was established in 1865 primarily to protect travellers and settlers from the Apache but saw little action. It was located on an ancient Indian campground and was also the place where Spanish caravans headed across the dreaded Jornado del Muerto section of the Camino Real.
Douglas MacArthur spent part of his childhood in the officers quarters at the fort when his father was stationed there between 1883 – 1886.
A heligraph station was established on nearby Mount Robledo to enable messages be sent to Fort Bliss 50 miles away in El Paso.
By 1890 bandits and Apache raiding parties were no longer considered a threat so the Fort was decommissioned and abandoned in 1891.Have fun, we are!
A good and enjoyable post to read. Along with the history of the fort, I was surprised to learn that Douglas MacArthur had spent time there too. Funny, I typically think of this man in regard to his exploits in WWII and of course, Japan and Korea too, not in an earlier existence.
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Thank you we're glad you enjoyed it. It's amazing the things you find in unexpected places.
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