Fort Griffin

On Saturday as we explored, we visited Fort Griffin State Historic Site, which was an Army fort established to protect settlers as they moved into the area and forced native Kiowa and Comanche peoples from their traditional lands.  In its heyday, it was home to almost 500 soldiers, officers, their families, and civilians.

It was hot on the afternoon we visited and so the lady at the visitor's center offered to let us use the golf cart reserved for staff to aide in our visit.  The remnants of the buildings were pretty far flung so her offer was most welcome.  Once we got to the site of the fort, we were the only people around.  We enjoyed our tour with nothing but the wind to keep us company.

Well, nothing but the wind and a bazillion grasshoppers!  We couldn't get over how many there were!  It brought to mind a plague of Biblical proportions.  As we would walk or drive the cart, a haze of grasshoppers would scramble to get out of our way.  At one point, I told Vol Fan that I was scared to open my mouth for fear one would fly in!

The life of a soldier on this windy plateau must have been pretty tough.  Vol Fan and I commented that we could not imagine what life would have been like back then.  Not really, even with all the reading materials with accounts of daily life.  This is a shell of the type of barracks that were constructed at the fort.  Four men were housed in each.  So much for privacy!