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FORT
HANCOCK, TEXASHudspeth County,
West Texas
Highway 20 - just South of I-10
52 miles SE of El Paso
66 miles W of Van
Horn
Population: 400
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The
Fort Hancock Port of Entry
Photo Courtesy Jason Penney |
History
in a Pecan Shell
Camp Rice/Fort
Hancock
Fort Hancock had
been established as Camp Rice in 1881. After the death of Union Major
General Winfield Scott Hancock in 1886, the post changed its name
to honor the General, who had wounded at Gettysburg and was later
the commander of the 5th Military Department (which included Texas).
Fort Hancock and Fort Quitman were both subposts to the "Mother Fort"
of Fort Davis.
It was near what had been Ft. Quitman, but was reestablished in 1882
to be nearer to the Southern Pacific Railroad. It was one of the few
forts in Texas to be purchased by the U.S. War Department.
The Handbook of Texas graciously supplies the purchase price of $2,370
- which answers the nagging question: What's a Fort Worth?" It became
an independent post in 1884.
Hancock was frequently flooded by the Rio Grande despite small dams
that had been built by the soldiers to prevent this. They also endured
several fires before pulling out in 1895.
The
story of historic Fort Hancock
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Water
diverted from the Rio Grande
Photo Courtesy Jason Penney |
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The
Fort Hancock Store
Photo Courtesy Jason Penney |
Photographer
Penney says today that while many fish can be caught here (catch and
release), the pollution from the Rio Grande prohibits them being eaten.
A town sprang up just East of the Fort and the post office
opened in 1886, the year the Fort's name changed.
The town of Fort Hancock today has an estimated population
of 400 and had its 15 minutes of fame recently, when it was mentioned
as a border crossing point in the end of the movie "The Shawshank
Redemption."
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The
old Camp Rice Marker
Photo Courtesy Jason Penney |
Fort Hancock Texas Forum
Fort Hancock
Info Sought (prior to 1895)
Dear TE, In looking for anything that someone may have written on
Fort Hancock around 1885-95, I ran across your [magazine]. I got
so caught up in reading other peoples' adventures with Texas/Oklahoma
that I forgot what I was originally looking for. However, with a
little pricking of the old gray matter I was able to recall my original
purpose: Fort Hancock and to find information on land, weather conditions,
and any other events of interest that may have gone on in the early
days ...(PRIOR to 1895.)
My grandmother, born 1844 in Norway, ended up at Fort Stockton as
a lone woman with a 10 year old son in 1880. By 1885 she was moving
to (Fort Rice) Fort Hancock and homesteading a piece of ground there.
I have all the land descriptions but don't know how to locate the
area short of traveling to Fort Hancock and looking at land records.
I have tried finding information in the library but not really the
kind I was looking for. If you or any of your readers can fill me
in on the early years of the Fort and why a lone woman would want
to end up there? Truly enjoy reading your articles and responses.
- Bee Foutz, October 25, 2006
Thank you
for the
piece on Fort Hancock. I was raised there and can tell you that
it is a great place to grow up. If you can dig up some more information
on Fort Hancock, I'd like to read it. - Patricia W.
Just wanted
to ditto Patricia W's sentiment on Ft. Hancock. My family was stationed
there with the Border Patrol twice when I was a kid. Wonderful memories
of incredible people makes living in this tiny town the most influential
experience of my life. I think of you often. - Jan Penter
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© John Troesser
Once again, our thanks to Jason Penney for his photos. More photos
by Jason
Penney
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