Fort Griffin was established by Brevet Colonel Sturgis under orders of Lieutenant General Charles Griffin, commander of the Sixth U.S. Cavalry and commander of the Frontier Area, for whom it was named. It served as headquarters for Companies A, F, and G of the 11th Infantry and two companies of the 4th Cavalry of the U.S. Army during the final conquest of Indian tribes from 1867 to 1876. In the valley below lay the town of Fort Griffin, regarded as the seat of West Texas civilization, and it became famous as headquarters for buffalo hunters, government surveyors, and pioneers. It was also the principal supply station for trail drivers on the Fort Griffin-Fort Dodge Cattle Trail, the longest on the continent.