High Plains History; Fort Elliot

[Speaker 1] Okay. This is, we're going to be doing Fort Elliott for High Plains History, and you don't have to give the title, we can just start it reading. [Speaker 2, reading] In 1874 the Battle of Adobe Walls became one of the initiating elements in what became known as the Red River Wars in the Texas Panhandle. It also precipitated the establishment of Fort Elliott located on a low plateau overlooking Sweetwater Creek, 27 miles west of the 100th Meridian. Now, originally called Cantonment on the Sweetwater, it was occupied in June of 1875. It was renamed Fort Elliott the following year in honor of Major Joel Elliott who had died at the Battle of Washita. The stables, guardhouse, and storehouses were constructed from local materials of cottonwood, post, adobe, and thatch, but lumber for more substantial buildings was hauled from Dodge City a round trip distance of 400 miles. By 1878, the fort consisted of a commander's residence,

officers' quarters, company barracks, a twelve-bed hospital, post headquarters and a combined chapel and school. Fort Elliott was built on open ground as the stockade enclosure was not necessary. Though capable of housing over 400 men, the normal strength of the post was around 200. After 1883 a company of 40 Indian scouts was also stationed there. And in 1879 a company of Buffalo Soldiers, the Black 10th US Calvary was assigned to the garrison. From 1881 to 1884, all of Fort Elliott's troops were Black, the commissioned officers were all white except for one, Lieutenant Henry Flipper, the first Black graduate of West Point. He served at Fort Elliott during this time. Troops patrolling both the panhandle and western Indian territory and during the late 1870s their main task was to stop small hunting parties of Indians from entering the panhandle. [Speaker 1] Let's go back and pick that up, I think you said patrolling instead

of patrol. [Speaker 2] Okay, I knew something didn't quite jive. Troops patrolled both the panhandle and the western Indian territory and during the late 1870s their main task was to stop small hunting parties of Indians from entering the panhandle. By the mid 1880s, attention had shifted to policing the ranch cattle industry and supervising the Texas trailer drives north through Indian land. Under the protection of Fort Elliott's troops, several large ranches and settlements were established around the panhandle area. When the need for protection for the Indians faded-- [Speaker 1] Okay. "Protection from the Indians", you said "protection for the Indians". [Speaker 2] My glasses are not-- [Speaker 1] We're doing good. You can take it back here. [Speaker 2] When the need for protection from the Indians faded, it signalled the end of an era for the garrison. In 19--

Starting over here. In 1890 the army closed the post and the buildings and land were eventually sold off. Little remains today of the post, it had transformed the panhandle except for the original flagpole, which stands near the old Mobeetie jail museum. Thanks to the Texas State Historical Association for providing materials for this story. For High Plains Public Radio, I'm Joe Van Zandt in Mobeetie, Texas. [Speaker 1] Sound okay to you? [Speaker 2] It's probably pretty good. [Speaker 1] Bobby, what did you think? [Speaker 3] I'm still writing but it sounded really good. [Speaker 2] I made a few grammatical deals but I'll probably do that again. [Speaker 1] No, well we'll be able to fix 'em. [audio cuts off, silence] [Speaker 1] This is track two, and this is Bobby Hill and we'll be reading for High Plains History, the naming of Mobeetie. [bell chimes] [Speaker 3] I might have made a real mess of this. [Speaker 1] That's okay, and like I said you know, if you need to say "oh wait a minute, let's go back," because if you're

reading off of two different texts now, it's easy enough as long as we have a little pause and start at a good place again, we can mix and match and insert. Ready? [Speaker 3] The history of the high plains is rich with town stories, yarns about town sites, ghost towns, boundary wars, and the naming of towns. Perhaps one of the richest legends involves Mobeetie, Texas, which can boast an impressive list of firsts in the history books: first established town in the Texas panhandle, first post office, first courthouse, first judicial system and jail, first school, the list is extensive and includes first reported tornado in the Texas panhandle, a killer storm that took seven lives in 1898. Indeed the town of Mobeetie, now often listed as a ghost town, is still considered the mother city of the panhandle. The naming of Mobeetie is a legend in itself. The town developed in 1875 from a

buffalo hunters camp which was known as a hide town because the residents used buffalo hides in the construction of their dwellings. When nearby Fort Elliott was established, the supply store of the camp grew to a full-sized trading post and the town, located at the southern end of the military road, moved a little closer to the fort and began to grow. As the population developed, it was agreed that the eligible voters petition the state to become a county. Since the town had been located on the Sweetwater Creek and since it had previously been nicknamed Sweetwater City or Sweet Town, it was decided that Sweetwater would be the perfect name for the miniature metropolis. But a post office application was denied, citing the fact that there already was a Sweetwater, Texas, and it could not be duplicated. A search for another name began in earnest and the word Mobeetie was chosen based on information gathered from an Indian scout at Fort Elliott. There are many legends regarding the origination of this name,

however it was later dis-- [Speaker 1] That's okay. No problem. We can just take it a sentence at a time and put it back together. [Speaker 3] Let's see. A search for another name began in earnest and the name Mobeetie was chosen. There are many legends regarding the origination of this name. The information-- one legend is that the information was gathered from an Indian scout at Fort Elliott. However, it was later discovered that there might be many dialects in such sign language in the American native tongues that the word Mobeetie might also mean "Buffalo Dung". The most likely version of the naming of the county seat comes from Emanuel Dubbs, who stated in his memoirs that at the first county commissioners' court meeting, they received word that Sweetwater

was-- name was taken-- let me start over. The most likely version of the naming of the county seat comes from Emanuel Dubbs who stated in his memoirs that at the first county commissioners' court meeting, they received word that Sweetwater was taken by a town further south in Texas in Nolan County. The commissioner Williams who spoke Cheyenne told the court that Mobeetie was the Indian word for Sweetwater. The name stuck and Mobeetie thrived until the railroad bypassed the town by two miles. I need to do that over. The name Mobeetie stuck and thrived until the fort closed in 1990, the town was destroyed by a tornado in 1898, a county-wide election moved the county seat in 1906 to Wheeler, and finally the railroad bypassed the town by two miles. The post office and most of the businesses moved to the railroad, causing yet another name change as the town of New Mobeetie left Old Mobeetie behind. Thanks

to the Old Mobeetie Association and the Texas State Historical Association for providing materials for this story. For High Plains Radio, I'm Bobby Hill. [Speaker 1] For High Plains Public Radio. [Speaker 3] For High Plains Public Radio, I'm Bobby Hill in Mobeetie, Texas. [Speaker 1] You want to go back and read that one more time? Maybe if you read that last part one more time, then if we need to mix and match we've got another. [Speaker 3] Let's see. [pause] This is what was-- [practicing] A search for another name began in earnest. There are many legends regarding the origination of this name.

[Speaker 1] Test, one, two. Test, one, two. Test. This is track three and this is Bobby Hill and we're reading the last half of the naming of Mobeetie for High Plains History, this is a second take on it. [Speaker 3] But a post office application was denied, citing the fact that there already was a Sweetwater, Texas and it could not be duplicated. A search for another name began in earnest. One legend is that an Indian scout at Fort Elliott told the court that the Indian word for Sweetwater was Mobeetie. However, it was later discovered that there are many dialects and much sign language in the many Native American

tongues and that the word Mobeetie might also mean "buffalo dung". The most likely version of the naming of the county seat comes from Emanuel Dubbs, the first county judge, who cited in his memoirs that at the first county commissioners court meeting, they received word that Sweetwater was taken by a town further south in Nolan County. Commissioner Williams, who spoke Cheyenne, told the court that Mobeetie was the Cheyenne word for Sweetwater. The name stuck and Mobeetie thrived until the railroad-- The name stuck and Mobeetie thrived until the fort closed in 1990, the town was destroyed by the 1898 tornado, a county-wide election moved the county seat to Wheeler in 1906, and finally the railroad bypassed the town by two miles. The post office and most of the businesses moved to the railroad, causing yet another name change to the town of New Mobeetie and left Old Mobeetie-- [Speaker 1] Can you go back to the post office?

[Speaker 3] The post office and most of the businesses moved to the railroad, causing yet another name change as the town of New Mobeetie-- The post office and most of the businesses moved to the railroad, causing yet another name change as the town of New Mobeetie left Old Mobetie behind. Thanks to the Old Mobeetie Association and the Texas State Historical Association for providing materials for this story. For High Plains Public Radio, I'm Bobby Hill in Mobeetie, Texas. [Speaker 1] Yay! [Speaker 3] That's what happens-- [cuts off]