Fort Fisher

[joe817]

FORT FISHER. Fort Fisher, at a site on the west bank of the Brazos River now within the Waco city limits, was built in February 1837 by Capt. Thomas H. Barron's company of Maj. William H. Smith's battalion of Texas Rangers. In 1837, wrote ranger George B. Erath, "Waco was in the possession of buffalo, and only a short time before had been vacated by the Waco Indians."

According to Erath, the rangers "built some shanties for barracks near the big spring of the river" and named the post for Secretary of War William S. Fisher. The fort was garrisoned first by Barron's men and later by other rangers, including Capt. Daniel Monroe's company, and Smith for a time maintained his headquarters there.

The men "were too far out to do good service," however, and so the fort was abandoned in June 1837 or soon thereafter. The post was reconstructed in 1968 as a home for the Colonel Homer Garrison Museum and serves as headquarters for a company of Texas Rangers. The reconstructed fort displays works of contemporary Western artists and maintains an excellent collection of weapons connected with the history of the Texas Rangers. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum is located nearby. (I just have to go there some day. Would make a good day trip)

[oohrah]

The Texas Ranger Museum is on the Brazos river walk that connects it to the famous suspension bridge (first bridge across the Brazos), and Indian Spring Park, where there is still an active underground spring that flows into the Brazos.

Drop your wife at the Silos and go see the Ranger museum.

[joe817]

We've been talking about it for a while. Our grandson would love it. He's 10 y.o. They also have a dinosaur museum/(or something like that) as well. Just need to find time to do it. The silos are another reason to go. She's hooked on Fixer Upper. Even watches reruns of it. Once is enough for me.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Thumbs up on the Texas Ranger Museum!

I have been there and there's plenty to see. It displays many vintage firearms (lots of Ranger 1911's). It even has a 1911 that was found in Clyde Barrow's car at the time he was dispatched to meet his Maker.

I'm not sure if I saw this in the Ranger Museum, or sourced it elsewhere: As rich as the Texas Rangers baseball team is, the team has never contributed one dollar to their namesake organization's museum. YMMV.

SIA

[ELB]

Yes do go see the Ranger Museum.

[mr surveyor]

The Museum is worth the visit. My wife and I went with some friends in 2017, just a few months after my brain surgery(s) ... so I was still having to get around with at least one walking stick. It was a bit of a challenge, but a very rewarding trip. The restaurant down by the river and micro-brewery a few blocks away helped completely fill the weekend.


jd

[oohrah]

We've been talking about it for a while. Our grandson would love it. He's 10 y.o. They also have a dinosaur museum/(or something like that) as well. Just need to find time to do it. The silos are another reason to go. She's hooked on Fixer Upper. Even watches reruns of it. Once is enough for me.

WRT dinosaurs, I believe you are referring to the Waco Mammoth National Historic Site. It is also worth the trip and it is free. There is also a display in the Mayborn Museum, very close to the Texas Ranger Museum.

Oh, and don't forget the Dr. Pepper Museum in downtown Waco.