Welcome! 

Kinney County is home to Fort Clark, Brackettville and Spofford.  Its history begins in 1852 when Fort Clark was established to protect the border between the United States and Mexico, the new settlers in the area and the gold rush travelers along the San Antonio to El Paso lower road.  The settlement of Brackett sprang up next to the fort and grew as the size of the fort grew.  In 1881 the railroad came through the southern part of Kinney County and the settlement of Spofford was established as one of the stopping points for the trains.

Kinney County's rich history can be explored by visiting the three museums in Brackettville.  The Old Guardhouse Museum on the Fort Clark grounds features the history of this pre-civil war fort.  The Kinney County Heritage Museum's exhibits educate the visitor about the early churches in Brackett, Alamo Village, newspapers in Kinney County and early business establishments.  The Seminole Indian Scouts Museum and Cemetery provide a picture of the community of scouts and their ancesters who lived in the area.  If you are in the Brackettville area and would like to visit these museums, call the person listed on their websites to arrange a private tour.

Further information about Kinney County can be found by reading old newspapers that are available on the following internet site: http://collections2.swco.ttu.edu/handle/20.500.12255/7354

The Old Guardhouse Museum and the Kinney County Heritage Museum have archive materials for those wishing to do research on their families and the area.

The material on this website was researched by Mary Ellen Miner, a winter Texan with a love of Kinney County history.  It is the goal of this researcher that this material will provide a stepping stone to more indepth research.