Fort Phantom Hill was established on November 14, 1851, abandoned on April 6, 1854, repaired and used by Southern Overland Mail from 1858 to 1861, and served as a sub-post of Fort Griffin in 1871 and 1872. After the Civil War, a thriving village grew up nearby, served as the temporary county seat of Jones County in 1881, and then declined rapidly after the county seat was located at Anson.