Phantom Hill Road

In 1851-52, in a major reorganization of the frontier defense system, the U.S. Army built a line of 7 forts between the Red River and the Rio Grande to protect the scattered remote settlements and travel routes to California. On Nov. 14, 1851, Fort Phantom Hill was established near present Abilene (120 miles NW) by Col. J. J. Abercrombie and the 5th Infantry. The Phantom Hill Road, the vital transportation and communication link between the fort and military headquarters at Austin (80 miles SE), was the first road in Lampasas County, and crossed at this site. Supply trains of up to 24 wagons drawn by mules, horses, and oxen passed along this route to the frontier fort. The road was used primarily by the military until the abandonment of Fort Phantom Hill on April 6, 1854, but also served as a thoroughfare for early settlers entering the region and continued in that capacity until after the Civil War. About 1870, traffic passing through the area was diverted to the Senterfitt Stage Station (1.5 miles SW), and this section of the road abandoned. Several isolated segments of the Phantom Hill Road remain in use in the county, and physical evidence of the Emy's Creek Crossing (200 yards S) still exists. (1974)

Phantom Hill Road is a historical marker in Lometa, Lampasas County. It is one of 73 historical markers documented in Lampasas County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 122 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.2214, -98.4301 near Lometa. The nearest cataloged historic site is Oak Haven (cemetery), about 1.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include Site of Lometa Reservoir, Senterfitt Cemetery, and Senterfitt.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5281004004. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.