Though the area was fraught with Indians, there was never an attack made on the civilian post. One reason for this was that Leaton was suspected of of trading guns to the Indians. However, before any charges could be brought against him, he died in 1851. Afterwards, his widow, facing large debts lost the farm to a man named John Burgess, who held the mortgage. Burgess then lived there until Leaton's son Bill killed him in 1875.

The fort then stood abandoned and began to deteriorate. In the 1930's, portions of the fort were restored by the Work Progress Administration. Today, the land and buildings have become the Fort Leaton State Historic Site. It is located on Farm Road 170, five miles southeast of Presidio.

Contact Information:

Fort Leaton State Historic Site
PO Box 2319
Presidio, Texas 79845
432-229-3613

Fort Lincoln (1849-1852) - Located on the west bank of Seco Creek about a mile north of present-day D'Hanis, the fort was established after the Mexican-American War in July, 1849. Named for Captain George Lincoln, who was killed in the Battle of Buena Vista, the post was one of eight that formed the first line of permanent federal frontier defense. Constructed on high ground that provided a strategic view of the area, Major James Longstreet, commanded the infantry troops who were tasked with repelling and tracking down Indian raiders and protecting the Woll Road from San Antonio to Fort Duncan. The structures were primarily built of local gray limestone and by 1851 included barracks, officers' quarters, a commissary, storehouse, and a hospital.

Ther were other less substantial buildings were built of logs. The post was abandoned in July, 1852 as the frontier was advancing westward. The buildings were then utilized by the Texas Rangers. Later, the barracks were torn down and the material used for homes at D'Hanis. The property was purchased by a man named Richard Reily, who used the hospital building as his personal home. Unfortunately, there are no remains of the fort today, other than a historical marker.

Fort Lipantitlan (1825-1848) - Established in 1825 by José M. J. Carbajal, it was named for the Lipan Apache Indians, who had long used the site as a camp ground. the west bank of the Nueces River about three miles upstream from the old town of San Patricio, in present-day Nueces County. Prior to Carbajal's fort, an old presidio had been built there as early as 1734, but it was completely gone when Fort Lipantitlan was established to restrict Anglo immigration into Texas. The fort was initially a simple embankment of earth with cannons mounted on each of the four parapets, and lined within by fence-rails. Later, several buildings and at least one barracks were built surrounding the embankments.