Fort Martin Scott Put the Frontier Road Beside Fredericksburg

Capt. Seth Eastman established Camp Houston on December 5, 1848, beside Barons Creek. The Army post sat roughly two miles southeast of Fredericksburg and watched the road between Fredericksburg and San Antonio. The frontier was not far beyond town; it ran past the settlement's door.

The Army renamed the post Fort Martin Scott in December 1849. Soldiers tried to limit conflict as settlement increased, while trade continued between Comanche people and Fredericksburg's German settlers. The fort also brought a steady source of cash into the young rural town.

As settlement moved west, the post became a forage depot from late 1852 through 1853 before it closed that December. It briefly held troops again in 1866. Today the Texas Historical Commission operates the site at 1606 East Main Street. Original buildings and replicas, including the guard house and jail, put that short military chapter back on the ground beside modern Fredericksburg.