Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
FORT PHANTOM HILL
Boredom rather than combat doomed this 1851 fort along the clear fork of the Brazos River.
Fort Phantom Hill
(FM 600; dawn-dusk) was among the outposts constructed to protect settlers on the Texas frontier; it was
abandoned just three years later after droves of bored soldiers left it (and the service). Time and fires have taken
their toll on the fort and the nearby ghost town - by 1880, 546 people had moved to the settlement, but a letter
written to the
San Antonio Daily Express
in 1892 indicated the town had dwindled to 'one hotel, one saloon, one
general store, one blacksmith shop and 10,000 prairie dogs.' Today, visitors find only a handful of buildings and
about a dozen chimneys among the windy, lonely ruins.
Fort Phantom Hill is on private land but the site is open during daylight hours. The grounds are 11 miles north
of I-20 on FM 600. Nearby Lake Fort Phantom is popular for fishing, boating, picnicking and camping.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Albany
POP 2000
Albany ranks among the most interesting small towns in Texas. Sitting 35 miles northeast
of Abilene, the Shackleford County seat of about 2000 people is a bit off the beaten path
on TX 180. It's a worthy 25-mile detour off I-20 or a highlight of one of the loneliest
roads in Texas, US 283.
A remarkable facility, the 1877
Old Jail Art Center
( 325-762-2269;
www.theoldjailartcenter.org
;
201 S 2nd St; 10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 2-5pm Sun)
houses a surprising collection that includes
ancient terra-cotta Chinese tomb figures and art by such masters as Pablo Picasso,
Amedeo Modigliani, Henry Moore and Grant Wood.
Each June, several hundred Albany townspeople get together and put on a show,
Fort
Griffin Fandangle
( 325-762-3838;
www.fortgriffinfandangle.org
;
Prairie Theater, 1490 CR 1084, 1 mile west of
town; admission $10-20; Thu-Sat, last 2 weeks of Jun)
. This energetic musical tells the story of the
area's pioneer days, complete with a cattle drive, stagecoach chase and plenty of Old West
tomfoolery. Meals are available before the shows.
