The imposing four-story limestone tower at Comanche Lookout Park evokes images of medieval castles, yet its origins are surprisingly modern.
Colonel Coppock, a military veteran enchanted by European history, pursued an ambitious vision for the park in the 1920s. After decades of service in the Spanish-American War and World War I, Coppock aimed to develop the hilltop into his own version of a medieval royal compound. Collaborating with his sons and builder Tarquino Cavazos. Part of the compound was completed in 1928, and it included a windmill, a 3 car garage with attached worker quarters and a storage shed. Both Coppock and Cavazos passed away in 1948, leading to the unfinished castle's abandonment. Though it appears antiquated, the tower has a relatively recent history intertwined with Coppock's imaginative dream.