FORT BURNHAM
The archives produced another intriguing article about a little-known Clay County piece of history. “Fort
Burnham May Have Once Been Spanish Mission” was published in the Wichita Falls Record News, Aug. 26,
1955, by Jim Koethe. “For the first time since its start three weeks ago, the search for the lost and forgotten
Texas outpost, Fort Burnham, seems to have paid off. “Apparently, Fort Burnham has been found. “And the
reason that the oldest pioneers know nothing of the old fort has also been found...It existed more than 200
years ago in Clay County.
“The mystery of Fort Burnham first came to light about 15 years ago when a Henrietta woman, Mrs. St. Andrew
Myers, found an old map of northern Texas and turned it over to Mrs. Kathrine Douthitt, who was completing a
history of Clay County. “The map located Fort Burnham at the mouth of the Little Wichita River in northeastern
Clay County. “Since then, Mrs. Douthitt has been on the lookout for information about Fort Burnham...
information that seemed lost forever.
“This week, Mrs. Douthitt’s son, Troy Douthitt Sr., was visiting her and casually mentioned, ‘Next time I’m in
Wichita Fall I’m going to stop by the paper and tell that fellow where Fort Burnham is.'
“For 15 years Mrs. Douthitt had wondered about Fort Burnham...she had asked old timers if they had ever
heard of it and she had looked through old books and records for some mention of Fort Burnham.
“Now her own son was talking like he knew about the old fort...and he did.
“Douthitt, who had never thought much about the information he had, reminded his mother how years ago she
had called him and told him she was disposing of a bunch of old books and that he could have any he wanted.
“Douthitt selected two small books, took them home, read them and then laid them away.
The books were the publication of an old manuscript by Father Fray Juan Augustin Morfi, Roman Catholic
priest, which had been found in a monastery in Mexico City, Mexico.
“The priest had been commissioned by the Viceroy of Mexico to make an exploratory trip through Texas...and
the manuscript, written in about 1745, was a description of this trip.
“North Texas and the Clay County area were populated by Indians in 1745 and, as far as anyone cares, that’s
about all there was in Clay County in 1745.
“And its Spanish name was Presidio San Theodoro de los Taovayas...it was located at the same place where
the old map shows Fort Burnham to have been, at the mouth of the Little Wichita River. “This is proven by a
map in the book of Father Morfi, a map much older than the one found by Mrs. Myers...yet, Fort Burnham and
Presidio San Theodoro de los Taovayas are located at the same place on the two maps. “Apparently the fort
was started and named by the Spanish, later abandoned, and still later renamed by the later pioneers.
“Douthitt noted that several years ago a Clay County pioneer, now deceased, told him that there were ruins of
several old rock foundations on a hill at the mouth of the Little Wichita. These could be, and probably are, the
remains of Fort Burnham-Presidio San Theodoro de los Taovayas.
“Soldiers were stationed at the fort during its active days in the 1700's and it probably was a Spanish mission
as well as a fort.
“The fort was named after Theodoro de Croix, with the last word in the fort’s name being that of the large tribe
of Indians living nearby...thus the literal translation of the fort’s name: Saint Theodoro of the Taovayas.
“Much of the mystery of Fort Burnham has now been cleared up, yet there still remains the unknown facts
about it...how long did it last? Why was it ever started? And was it used after the Spaniards left?
“The Record News’ search for the old fort stretched across parts of the state and nation. Ruins of an old fort
that are still an unexplained mystery were found in Montague County and another forgotten fort was turned up
in Clay County.
“Congressman Frank Ikard’s Washington, D. C., office assisted in the search by looking for information in the
records of the War Department in the National Archives, the Barker Texas History Center, and the U.S. Army
Register. “Telephone calls and letters about the old fort were also received and investigated and last week a
group of Midwestern University students tramped across Montague County looking for a clue to the old fort.”
Submitted by Lucille Glasgow
The archives produced another intriguing article about a little-known Clay County piece of history. “Fort
Burnham May Have Once Been Spanish Mission” was published in the Wichita Falls Record News, Aug. 26,
1955, by Jim Koethe. “For the first time since its start three weeks ago, the search for the lost and forgotten
Texas outpost, Fort Burnham, seems to have paid off. “Apparently, Fort Burnham has been found. “And the
reason that the oldest pioneers know nothing of the old fort has also been found...It existed more than 200
years ago in Clay County.
“The mystery of Fort Burnham first came to light about 15 years ago when a Henrietta woman, Mrs. St. Andrew
Myers, found an old map of northern Texas and turned it over to Mrs. Kathrine Douthitt, who was completing a
history of Clay County. “The map located Fort Burnham at the mouth of the Little Wichita River in northeastern
Clay County. “Since then, Mrs. Douthitt has been on the lookout for information about Fort Burnham...
information that seemed lost forever.
“This week, Mrs. Douthitt’s son, Troy Douthitt Sr., was visiting her and casually mentioned, ‘Next time I’m in
Wichita Fall I’m going to stop by the paper and tell that fellow where Fort Burnham is.'
“For 15 years Mrs. Douthitt had wondered about Fort Burnham...she had asked old timers if they had ever
heard of it and she had looked through old books and records for some mention of Fort Burnham.
“Now her own son was talking like he knew about the old fort...and he did.
“Douthitt, who had never thought much about the information he had, reminded his mother how years ago she
had called him and told him she was disposing of a bunch of old books and that he could have any he wanted.
“Douthitt selected two small books, took them home, read them and then laid them away.
The books were the publication of an old manuscript by Father Fray Juan Augustin Morfi, Roman Catholic
priest, which had been found in a monastery in Mexico City, Mexico.
“The priest had been commissioned by the Viceroy of Mexico to make an exploratory trip through Texas...and
the manuscript, written in about 1745, was a description of this trip.
“North Texas and the Clay County area were populated by Indians in 1745 and, as far as anyone cares, that’s
about all there was in Clay County in 1745.
“And its Spanish name was Presidio San Theodoro de los Taovayas...it was located at the same place where
the old map shows Fort Burnham to have been, at the mouth of the Little Wichita River. “This is proven by a
map in the book of Father Morfi, a map much older than the one found by Mrs. Myers...yet, Fort Burnham and
Presidio San Theodoro de los Taovayas are located at the same place on the two maps. “Apparently the fort
was started and named by the Spanish, later abandoned, and still later renamed by the later pioneers.
“Douthitt noted that several years ago a Clay County pioneer, now deceased, told him that there were ruins of
several old rock foundations on a hill at the mouth of the Little Wichita. These could be, and probably are, the
remains of Fort Burnham-Presidio San Theodoro de los Taovayas.
“Soldiers were stationed at the fort during its active days in the 1700's and it probably was a Spanish mission
as well as a fort.
“The fort was named after Theodoro de Croix, with the last word in the fort’s name being that of the large tribe
of Indians living nearby...thus the literal translation of the fort’s name: Saint Theodoro of the Taovayas.
“Much of the mystery of Fort Burnham has now been cleared up, yet there still remains the unknown facts
about it...how long did it last? Why was it ever started? And was it used after the Spaniards left?
“The Record News’ search for the old fort stretched across parts of the state and nation. Ruins of an old fort
that are still an unexplained mystery were found in Montague County and another forgotten fort was turned up
in Clay County.
“Congressman Frank Ikard’s Washington, D. C., office assisted in the search by looking for information in the
records of the War Department in the National Archives, the Barker Texas History Center, and the U.S. Army
Register. “Telephone calls and letters about the old fort were also received and investigated and last week a
group of Midwestern University students tramped across Montague County looking for a clue to the old fort.”
Submitted by Lucille Glasgow
| Kathryn Douthitt Map Showing Ft Burnham |