Fort Davis National Historic Site

 

Visited: Feb 2018

Nearby town: Ft. Davis, TX

Way out in West Texas, you’ll find one of the best examples of a 19th century U.S. Army fort in the southwestern United States.

Nestled at the foot of the Davis Mountains, Fort Davis was an active fort from 1854-1891. It was inactive for a brief period during the Civil War, and the present layout of the buildings are from when the fort re-opened in 1867. 

The primary purpose of the fort was to protect emigrants heading to California, mail coaches, and freight wagons traveling along the San Antonio-El Paso Road and the Chihuahua Trail. It was established in 1854 and named after then-current Secretary of War Jefferson Davis (who would later become the President of the Confederacy). Early in the outbreak of the Civil War, the U.S. Army evacuated the fort and it was occupied by a small division of about 20 Confederate troops for about a year. In 1862, the Confederate troops abandoned the fort, and it sat empty until 1867, when the U.S. Army reclaimed it. The fort was rebuilt in 1867 and manned by all-black infantry and cavalry regiments (known as “Buffalo Soldiers”). Lt. Henry O. Flipper, the first black graduate of West Point, was stationed here. The Buffalo Soldiers scouted for hostile Indians, surveyed land, built roads, and installed telegraph lines in the area. The fort was deactivated in 1891.

 Fort Davis National Historic Site was established as an NPS unit in 1961. The NPS has restored 24 buildings and preserved over 100 ruins and foundations. The buildings have been refurbished to their 1880s appearance. Check out the Visitor’s Center to see the film and learn about the history and way of life for the soldiers stationed here.

Take a walk around the grounds and tour the buildings. This is a harsh beauty out here in the West Texas desert. This is a great stop for an hour or two on your way out to Big Bend National Park.

The hospital was really neat...and kind of spooky. 😀

Row of officers homes.

Some of the original foundations.

This is a cool fort. It’s quite remote, but if you happen to be driving down to Big Bend NP from Balmorhea, this is worth a quick stop. More info here: https://www.nps.gov/foda/index.htm

BONUS: The tiny city of Fort Davis (pop. 1,201) is a pretty cool, historic town. It serves as the county seat of Jeff Davis County, and like most counties in Texas, has an impressive courthouse.