Fort Stockton

Pecos Trail Region
800-336-2166, 432-336-2264
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STOCKTON REST STOP

Historic Comanche Springs, once the third largest known source of spring water in Texas but dry by the 1960s due to excessive irrigation pumping, gave rise to Fort Stockton. The settlement grew up around a military fort (its namesake), re-occupied after serving as a camp and one of several posts designed to form a line of defense across the Texas frontier. Comanche Springs was once a routine rest stop on the Comanche Trail, the Old San Antonio Road, the Butterfield Overland Mail route, and the San Antonio-to-Chihuahua wagon road. The strategic location provided a lively center for trade, labor, and business throughout the frontier community along with a plentiful source of water, while the fort provided protection, ideal ingredients that allowed Fort Stockton (first known as Saint Gaul) to thrive. Today, Fort Stockton offers heritage travelers a look at the ruins of Comanche Springs, the remains of the fort, and the Annie Riggs Memorial Museum where visitors may explore details of the community’s past. Paisano Pete, a statue of a giant road runner, greets visitors to Fort Stockton upon their arrival.

Mapped location of Fort Stockton

Fort Stockton

800-336-2166, 432-336-2264

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