Old Fort Parker shares Texas history, hosts modern events
By Janna Zepp | Photos by Sarah McReynolds and courtesy of Old Fort Parker Historic Site
On a warm day in May 1836, 17-year-old Rachel Plummer looked outside the open gates of Fort Parker and saw what would change her life and the course of Texas history forever.
“One minute the fields were clear, and the next moment, more Indians than I dreamed possible were in front of the fort,” she wrote in her memoir, Narrative of Twenty-One Months’ Servitude as a Prisoner Among the Comanchee [sic] Indians, released in Houston in 1838. It became an international sensation and put an obscure, early Texas military installation in the global spotlight for centuries to come.
Fort Parker, or Parker’s Fort as it was known then, sat about two miles north of present-day Groesbeck in Limestone County. Elders Daniel and John Parker, their families, and other members of the Pilgrim Predestinarian Baptist Church of Crawford County, Illinois, established it when they came to Texas in 1833. Daniel’s party first settled in Grimes County, then later moved to Anderson County near present-day Elkhart and established Pilgrim Church. Elder John Parker’s group settled near the headwaters of the Navasota River, and built a fort for protection against Native Americans. It was completed in March 1834.
Settlers lived on and farmed the land nearby between 1834 and 1836. Several had built cabins on their farms, and used the fort for protection. Peace treaties had been made with surrounding Native American chiefs. There was a relative calm coexistence until the Fort Parker residents allowed a Texas Ranger company to use the fort, not understanding that many Native Americans hated the Rangers. It was then that the Comanche went on a raiding party that eventually grew to include Kiowas, Caddos, and Wichitas in a force between 500 and 700 warriors. On May 19, 1836, they overwhelmed and attacked Fort Parker. Of the settlers, five men were killed, some were left for dead, two women and three children were captured, and the rest escaped into the wilderness. Most of the captives were released over a period of years as ransom was paid, but the most famous one remained with the Native Americans for nearly 25 years.
Most Texans know the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, one of the children captured by the Comanches, or as she and her fellow captives came to know them, the Numunuu. Cynthia was between 8 and 11 when she was adopted by a Tenowish Comanche couple, who named her Naduah or Narua, meaning “Someone Found,” and raised her as their own daughter. She became culturally Comanche. She married Peta Nocona, a chieftain, and they enjoyed a happy marriage. As a tribute to his love for her, Nocona never took another wife, although traditionally chieftains had several wives. The couple had three children: Comanche Chief Quanah Parker, another son named Pecos, and a daughter named Topusana.
Film buffs and Texas history enthusiasts will enjoy this bit of trivia: the character, Stands With A Fist, portrayed by Mary McDonnell in the 1990 film Dances With Wolves was based on Cynthia Ann Parker.
Day trippers wanting to experience a piece of Texas history won’t want to miss a journey to Old Fort Parker, especially as weekends in the fall turn cooler and the tree foliage begins to take on autumn colors.
Old Fort Parker has been open to the public since 1933 and has been rebuilt twice; once in 1930 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a project for the 1936 Texas Centennial and again in 1967. Originally operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of Fort Parker State Recreation Area (now Fort Parker State Park), in 1992 the City of Groesbeck assumed control of the site with the formation of the Fort Parker Historical Society. Nearby Fort Parker Cemetery contained the graves of the 1836 victims and was still an active cemetery in the early 2000s. By that time, the replica was operated under the joint effort of the cities of Groesbeck and Mexia and Limestone County.
Walking into the fort, a replica of the original that sits on the location, visitors immediately feel as if they are back in 1830s Texas. The rustic feel drives home just how primitive life was for early Texans. Cabins and block houses at the fort vividly demonstrate the close quarters shared by American settlers in that era, showing just how tightly crammed together families were in their homes.
Old Fort Parker has periodic living history interpretations of 1830s life on the Texas frontier courtesy of the Fort Parker Historical Society and the city of Groesbeck. A year-round event schedule includes trail rides, festivals and celebrations. Rental facilities are available for family reunions, weddings and private parties. One “must-see” event that best represents 1830s Texas is the annual Christmas at the Fort, which will be held Dec. 11-12.
“That’s when you really feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the Texas frontier before we were even a republic,” Sarah McReynolds, director of Old Fort Parker, says of the event.
For those who enjoy studying the paranormal, some visitors have said they’ve seen strange things at the fort. McReynolds says that a visiting paranormal group that included two law enforcement officers, reported 17 ghosts on site.
“The group came out years ago with all sorts of equipment and took pictures during the two nights they stayed,” she says. “They said some of the night photos showed spirits all around me and they said the ghosts liked me.”
One visitor who stayed overnight reported having a vivid dream of a Native American man standing in the middle of the fort, holding his hand out as if to say, “Come with me.” She said she was intrigued and enchanted, wishing she had not awakened because she wanted to go with him, so it appears the ghosts of Old Fort Parker are, indeed, gentle ones.
Speaking of overnight stays, arrangements with the fort can definitely be made, along with prepared meals if planned well in advance. There are guest facilities and places to camp with permission of the fort. Call 254-729-5253, email oldfortparker@aol.com, or visit oldfortparker.org for reservations. Find the fort at 866 Park Road 35, Groesbeck.
IF YOU GO
Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes.
Check the weather forecast; dress accordingly.
People often confuse Old Fort Parker in Groesbeck with Fort Parker State Park in Mexia; check your address on your GPS before you go.
Soft drinks and snacks are available for purchase, but full meals are only served by prearrangement with the fort.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Oct. 9-19: Annual Maverick HOG Camp Out
Oct. 16-17: Fort Parker Patriot Monthly Shoot
Nov. 19-21: Annual Defend Old Fort Parker Shoot
Nov. 25-28: Annual Thanksgiving Trail Ride
Dec. 11-12: Annual Christmas at the Fort Festival
Dec. 18-19: Fort Parker Patriot Monthly Shoot
