The ranch includes the original Fort Terrett, named for Lt. John Terrett who was killed in the battle of Monterrey in 1846. Established in 1852 by the U.S. Army to protect the settlements from Indians along the San Antonio Road. The Fort was the first permanent settlement in Sutton County and was abandoned in 1854 due to the proximity to the larger, more established Fort McKavett. Scouts and patrols from Fort McKavett later used the abandoned buildings of Fort Terrett as a campsite and in later years, the frontier outpost provided a training ground for officers and servicemen. Fort Terrett eventually became an area showplace with visible evidence of the early Army fort that brought civilization to the Texas frontier. Fort Terrett is a Texas Historical Society Medallion property that is mentioned in Forts of the West; Ray Miller's, Texas Forts, a History and Guide; and From Muskets to Mohair: The History of Fort Terrett.