Linnville or New Port - Texas Ghost Town

LINNVILLE or NEW PORT

NAME: Linnville or New Port
COUNTY: Calhoun
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 5
CLIMATE: Warm winter, hot summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT:Winter, spring, fall

COMMENTS: Site is now a new residential area.
REMAINS: None.

The story of Linnville is a story of deceit, revenge, retribution and death. It is a story of a growing and prosperous Texas seaport, first known as New Port, that was destroyed and never rebuilt. The story has its beginning in San Antonio on March 19, 1840 when the Comanche Indians agreed to enter San Antonio to meet with the Texans and to return white captives. They arrived as promised but brought only one captive, a mutilated fifteen year-old girl named Matilda Lockhart. The meeting took place in a building called the Council House. Once inside, the Comanche Chiefs, they numbered twelve, were told they would be held hostage until the remaining white captives were released. What took place caused the destruction of Linnville. Whatever it was caused the Texans to kill all twelve chiefs as well as other Comanches waiting outside the Council House. Revenge was in the form of a war party of six hundred Comanche warriors that descended on the town of Linnville in the early morning of Sunday, August 8, 1840. The town was completely destroyed and never rebuilt. Nearly 150 years elapsed before the site was re-occupied by the building of a new residential sub-division. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth

The story of Linnville is a story of deceit, revenge, retribution and death. It is a story of a growing and prosperous Texas seaport, first known as New Port, that was destroyed and never rebuilt. The story has its beginning in San Antonio on March 19, 1840 when the Comanche Indians agreed to enter San Antonio to meet with the Texans and to return white captives. They arrived as promised but brought only one captive, a mutilated fifteen year-old girl named Matilda Lockhart. The meeting took place in a building called the Council House. Once inside, the Comanche Chiefs, they numbered twelve, were told they would be held hostage until the remaining white captives were released. What took place caused the destruction of Linnville. Whatever it was caused the Texans to kill all twelve chiefs as well as other Comanches waiting outside the Council House. Revenge was in the form of a war party of six hundred Comanche warriors that descended on the town of Linnville in the early morning of Sunday, August 8, 1840. The town was completely destroyed and never rebuilt. Nearly 150 years elapsed before the site was re-occupied by the building of a new residential sub-division. SUBMITTED BY: Henry Chenoweth

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