Fort Parker State Park, Mexia Texas

A short tour of Fort Parker State Park, located in Mexia, Texas. Fort Parker (established in 1833) was the site of a well-known Comanche Indian raid in May 1836, in which the Comanche captured 12-year old Cynthia Ann Parker. She was the mother of the last great Comanche chief, Quanah Parker.
The park encompasses the historic town of Springfield, established in 1838. When Limestone County was created in 1847, Springfield was its first county seat.
At its peak, Springfield’s population was greater than either Dallas or Houston. Springfield began to fade away in the early 1870s after the railroad bypassed the town and the courthouse burned. Groesbeck became county seat in 1873 and the Springfield post office closed in 1878. Springfield soon became a ghost town.
Only the cemetery remains. It is the final resting place of many East Texas pioneers, including an American Revolutionary War veteran and two veterans of the Battle of San Jacinto.