Ft. Waul: Civil War fort sits vacant on trash-strewn hill

Sitting high upon one of the highest hills in Gonzales, Fort Waul still affords one of the best views out toward both the San Marcos and Guadalupe rivers - A trait that made it a possible key position for the armies of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

The Confederate fort was commissioned in December 1863 to repel a possible Union attack up the Guadalupe River and to cut off supply lines from the Port of Indianola in case of attack.

It was still in the process of being built when the war ended and actually was never given an official name until the late 1870s when it was named for Confederate General Thomas N. Waul.

For the past 141 years since the war ended, the fort has remained unused and vacant, although the bricks used to build the blockhouse in the center of the fort were removed and used to rebuild the local college after the war.

The 250x750-foot earthen-walled fort's outer perimeter and surrounding trench can still be seen as well as the depression where the blockhouse was located, but the area has long since been covered by Texas native grasses and mesquite trees.

But, now the site is facing a new problem - illegal dumping and the fort's next door neighbor, Sandra Wolff of Pioneer Village, has seen the problem escalate recently.

In the meantime, a new push seems to be gaining momentum to finally turn the fort into a local attraction to hopefully bring more visitors to Gonzales and Pioneer Village.

Several attempts have been made over the years to resurrect the fort and to breathe new life into it, but for untold reasons, every attempt has either failed or run out of gas before anything concrete can be done, said Wolff.

"I remember one of the projects actually got stopped by the State historical commission because the group said damage was actually being done to the site," she said. "But, if the right group comes along, I think the state will go along with it."

That group may be waiting in the wings to tackle the renovation and eventual operation of the fort.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, along with a former Gonzales resident Wayne Ellison, have been pushing for permission from the city, which owns the land, to spearhead the renovation project.

Ellison, who formerly headed the local chamber and now lives in New Braunfels, says he has been trying for over 20 years to get the project going and has only recently enlisted the aid of the SCV. "This fort is totally going to waste out there," he said recently during a visit to the city. "There is just so much history there and nothing is being done about it."

That is about to change.

Earlier this week, City Manager Buddy Drake forwarded a letter to Ellison granting the group permission to submit initial plans to the city for the renovation project.

Drake said in his letter that the city would then take a look at the plans and make a final decision on what to do. "We support your efforts to restore this piece of our history and enhance our heritage tourism efforts," Drake said in the letter.

No dates have been announced for any work to begin.

Back in July of 1985, the Texas Antiquities Committee and the Gonzales Area Development Corporation allowed Environment Consultants to come onto the property to study the area and to determine how best to preserve and show it.

The five-week study determined the size of the fort, but was unable to recover many artifacts since the fort was never actually used by the CSA.

The study confirmed most of the information locals had learned about and it also urged the city to go forward with work at the fort so that more information could be unearthed.

This is the only earthworks fort built in Texas during the Civil War and it is thought to be the only one left standing west of the Mississippi.

"The physical remains and the history of the site make it a good prospect for park development," the report read. "The location within the city limits of Gonzales make it a logical candidate for a permanent park."

Ellison said that, despite hearing all of this, the city decided not to go further with the project.

"I was baffled back then," Ellison said, "and I am even more baffled today that something has not begun on this project. We want the city to know that my group is totally committed to restoring the fort and maintaining the history evident there.

"If the city will let us, we will make this a part of the city that all of you can enjoy and be proud of. People will come from all over to see this fort. I can promise you this."