Holland Coffee operated a trading post in the area of Preston Bend (which is now under Lake Texoma). He was rumored to have traded guns and whiskey to the Indians, an act that was forbidden by law. In 1837, Coffee was called before the government and "made a satisfactory explanation of his actions." His fort, consisting of a tall fence made of pickets, was said to have been more to prevent the Indians from stealing livestock than protection from raids. Nearby Coffee's Crossing was a landmark when the Republic of Texas built a Military Road linking Central and North Texas. The fort became a station when the Butterfield Mail stages passed through the area in the late 1850s. |
||||
|
||||
