Fort Leaton State Historic Site

Fort Leaton is believed to have been built as an adobe residence in the 1830s by Juan Bustillos. In 1848, it was acquired by Benjamin Leaton, who lived in the structure and also used it as his trading post and fortress.

Benjamin Leaton was a trader, freight hauler along the Chihuahua Trail, and a bounty hunter paid by various local governments in Mexico for each scalp taken from an indigenous person. He also traded munitions to the Apache and Comanche for any stolen cattle they brought him. When Presidio County was established in 1850, Fort Leaton was its first seat of government.[4] Leaton died in 1851, and his widow married Edward Hall who continued operating the freight business from the fort. Hall became financially indebted to Leaton’s scalp hunting partner John Burgess. Hall defaulted on his debt to Burgess in 1864, and was murdered. Burgess took over the fort, and was in turn murdered by Leaton’s son in 1875. The Burgess family remained in the fort until they abandoned it in 1926. The fort was purchased by Marfa State Bank and a private citizen in the 1930s and donated to Presidio County. An attempt at restoration was begun, but adequate financing never materialized. The site was then purchased by a private citizen and donated to the state of Texas. In 1968, the site was designated Fort Leaton State Historic Site. It opened to the public in 1978.

Because of its desolate location and the constant threat of Indian attack, Fort Leaton offered much-needed frontier defense. The private bastion was the only fortification on the American side of the Rio Grande between Eagle Pass and El Paso before and during the building of Fort Davis (Jeff Davis County), and the United States Army made Fort Leaton its unofficial headquarters. Even after the completion of Fort Davis, eighty miles to the north, the army used the private fort as an outpost for military patrols. Military maps of the 1850s listed Fort Leaton along with official army posts.

Fort Leaton was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Presidio County, Texas on June 18, 1973.

The park is day use only and offers picnicking areas, guided tours, plus exhibits on the history from 15th century, natural history, and archaeological history of the area. The site serves for historical study activities.

What to Photograph

The restored Fort Leaton with many of the furnishings of the time. Situated in the Chihuahuan Desert, plants range from arid-adapted cacti to water-loving cottonwoods.

Where it is:

The park is located four miles southeast of Presidio on the River Road to the Big Bend (FM 170), one of the most scenic highway routes in the southeast.

Maps:

Interactive Google Map

Use the map + – controls to zoom in and out, click and drag the to move the map, use the Map drop-down to change to “Map”, “Satellite”, “Hybrid”, or “Terrain” views. Drag the little man icon from the upper left corner to a map location for street level view.

GPS:

Latitude: 29.542511

Longitude: -104.326348

Cost:

Entrance Fees

13 years and older: $5 Daily

Child 12 Years and Under : Free

Hours:

Hours

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Busy Season
September through April

Facilities:

There is a picnic area and public restrooms. The Texas State Park Store gift shop is located on the grounds.

The Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center serves as the visitor center for both Ft. Leaton State Historic Site and Big Bend Ranch State Park.

Wireless Internet Access (Wi-Fi) is available in some areas of this site.

Location Contact Information:

Fort Leaton Photo Gallery

Click Here for full page gallery