Red River Station, Texas

Red River Station, Texas
Ghost Town
Just south of the Red River.
Red River Station Show map of Texas Red River Station Show map of the US Location within Texas
Coordinates: 33°52′23″N 97°48′31″W / 33.87306°N 97.80861°W / 33.87306; -97.80861Coordinates: 33°52′23″N 97°48′31″W / 33.87306°N 97.80861°W / 33.87306; -97.80861
Country	United States
State	Texas
County	Montague
Settled	1859-1860
Founded by	Pioneers
Elevation	842 ft (257 m)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)

Red River Station is a ghost town south of the Red River at Salt Creek in northwestern Montague County, Texas, United States.^[1]

History

Native Americans long used the fertile areas near the Red River for farming and hunting. In 1859-1860, Anglo-Americans began settling the area as the population of Native Americans dwindled. During the American Civil War, Confederate troops were stationed near Red River Station and patrolled along the south side of the Red River, the border between Texas and Indian Territory.^[2]

In December 1863, a destructive Indian raid occurred which spread from Indian Territory, across the Red River at Red River Station, through Montague County and into Cooke County, Texas. The Indians were between 200-300 strong and massacred a number of settler families. They were chased by the Confederate military before disappearing back into Indian Territory.^[3]

After the Civil War, cattle drives began moving from south and central Texas to Kansas, and Red River Station was the last stop in Texas on the Chisolm Trail.^[4] Virtually all cattle driven along the Chisolm Trail crossed at Red River Station. The town grew and citizens applied for a post office in 1873, initially naming it Salt Creek. In 1884, the post office's name changed to Red River Station. But the post office and the community would be short-lived.

When the Gainesville, Henrietta and Western Railway (1886–87) crossed northern Montague County, its right-of-way crossed south of Red River Station, through present-day Nocona and Belcherville. As towns sprang up along the new rail line and with the end to the cattle drives, Red River Station faced extinction. A tornado also struck in the late 1880s, destroying much of the community. Rather than rebuild, citizens moved south to the communities along the new rail line and Red River Station again became farm land.

In 1887, the post office closed and the community ceased to exist. Today, nothing remains of the former community except the cemetery.

Education

Red River Station is serviced by the Prairie Valley Independent School District.

Historical landmarks

Red River Station received a historic marker in 1963 commemorating the settlement established on the Red River.^[5]

In 2009, a marker was unveiled for the Chisholm Trail. (See Montague County, Texas.)

Red River Station cemetery is located west of Salt Creek and due south of the Red River.^[6]

Red River Station cemetery

References

Municipalities and communities of Montague County, Texas, United States
County seat: Montague
Cities	Bowie Nocona St. Jo
CDPs	Montague Nocona Hills Sunset
Other unincorporated communities	Belcherville Bonita Capps Corner Corinth Forestburg Illinois Bend Ringgold Spanish Fort Stoneburg
Ghost town	Red River Station