Transactions of the Regional Archeological Symposium for Southeastern New Mexico and Western Texas: 2011 Page: 5
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-pand on to El Paso. The original Johnson's Station was located at the best location possible within
the maximum range set for the mules to be relieved for the Butterfield route coming from the
north. In this case it was 32 miles from the Grape Creek Station. The next stop after Johnson's
Station was Head of the Concho Station, a distance of 32 miles again. When the Ben Ficklin line
began they must have realized the first stop was too short from Fort Concho. So they moved it
farther up river to even out the spacing between stations to 27 miles apart. They decided to keep
the same name and also called this second stage station Johnson's Station. Land deeds support
this new location's successive ownership by various partners of the Ben Ficklin stage line. A
detailed satellite imagery search of the later Fort Stockton/El Paso Mail Road and the Grierson
shortcut portion of that road revealed the likely location of this station at the proper distance
from Fort Concho and indicated on the land deeds.
US Cavalry, Fort Chadbourne
During the same general time frame that the Ben Ficklin line was getting started the
original Johnson's Station probably served as a military camp by units from Fort Chadbourne. In
June 1867 Lieutenant Boehm left Fort Chadbourne with a detachment of 40 men and followed
the Butterfield Trail down to the Middle Concho. They set up what they called 'Permanent
Camp' listed as 18 miles from the junction of the Middle and North Concho Rivers. (Uglow)
This is the location of the original Johnson's Station measured by the trail running along the
Middle Concho River to the junction of the two rivers. Basing out of this location they escorted
cattle herds to the Pecos River for a period of one month, at which time they were relieved by G
Company of the 4th U.S. Cavalry. This rotation of company size detachments continued for six
months into November 1867, when Fort Chadbourne finally closed and moved to start up Fort
Concho the following month.
US Cavalry, Fort Concho
After Fort Concho was established the troops again took up the responsibility of
protecting the San Antonio to El Paso mail line and escorting cattle drives. In June 1869 soldiers
began permanent picket duty at the new Johnson's Station. In December the commander of the
Pecos Region instructed the Fort Concho commander to build permanent quarters at the station -
a building with a pole roof covered with mud or unformed adobe that could overlook the corral.
The picket outpost consisted of one noncommissioned officer and four privates. These were
detailed from the infantry companies at Fort Concho.
One day just before Christmas in 1869 a band of Indians hit this mail station and ran off
five cavalry horses. The raid brought a quick reaction. Fifty troopers rode out of Fort Concho in
pursuit. To forestall further raids, the command later dispatched a lieutenant with two sergeants,
two corporals, and twenty-three privates of E Company, Ninth Calvary, plus a hospital attendant,
headed for Johnson's Station. They planned to stay for at least a month, scouting the region
vigorously for hostile bands. It is highly likely that this large detachment once again took
advantage of the original Johnson's Station location as its base of operations.
Documents from Fort Concho indicate that both Johnson's Stations were well known and
referenced by cavalry scouting parties well into 1879. A scouting map of 1872 shows Johnson's
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Transactions of the Regional Symposium for Southeastern New Mexico and Western Texas: Index to Volumes 1-57 [1965-2024] (Book)
Index to the proceedings of the regional archeological symposium including separate lists by subject, title, author, and volume along with subject categories, a map of regions, and Texas county abbreviations.
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Robertson, Pinky. Transactions of the Regional Archeological Symposium for Southeastern New Mexico and Western Texas: 2011, book, 2012; Midland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1661492/m1/11/?q=+date%3A1945-1972: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Southwestern Federation of Archaeological Societies.