Fort Concho National Historic Landmark — Attraction in San Angelo

Yeah, it could use some enhancements, but it’s still worth the admission charge for 90 minutes’ worth of old west history.

Fort Concho is one of several preserved U.S. cavalry forts established in the 19th century designed to protect the west Texas frontier. This one was established in 1867, and the Fort Concho Foundation has done a good job preserving the remaining buildings.

One of the Buffalo Soldier regiments was stationed here, but there’s not a whole lot of info posted about their stay here.

According to the Fort Concho web site, they have a guided tour Wednesday through Sunday. I visited on a Wednesday but was only informed of the self-guided tour ($3 per person).

The tour begins with the officers’ quarters and is a bit disappointing. The buildings are wonderfully preserved but there’s just not a lot to see or even read about. When I got to the enlisted side of the fort, there was a lot more info, history, and things to see.

Park across the street for free in the farmer's market parking lot on South Oakes Street.

Make sure you stop by the mule barn behind the enlisted barracks. It’s not a historic building, but you can check our four or five mules if you like.

Pro Tip: One of the buildings on the officers’ side of the fort has an antique telephone museum located within. It has nothing to do with the fort, but it’s still fun...

As in many years passed, our trip to Christmas at Old Fort Concho is much anticipated each December. Wonderful historic exhibits, men and women dressed in costume roaming the grounds, cavalry soldiers trotting the grounds on their horses and greeting folks. The booming of cannon fire. Fair food served up by a variety of food trucks. Will someone please explain what happened to all this? Barely a hand full of reenactors, no horses or cavalry! It appears that all they wanted to do this year was pack every available barracks building with grossly overpriced goods. 3 food vendors who felt 14$ for an order of burned string they called curly fries!!! The annual 4h horse rides for kids had 3 horses. The petting zoo was a joke. And where were the tents that for years lined the entire barracks side filled with wonderful homemade wooden items, blankets and goods. As always we had a great time just walking the grounds but the sense of being in an historic place was not there. Whoever put together this years festival should have been locked in "stocks" and let us throw eggs at them. Because they sure laid an egg...

Fort Concho was home to The Buffalo Soldiers, all Black Army regiments who fought valiantly to expand the American West and for The Promise of opportunity, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for ALL.

They earned their names from the Native communities they fought against who grew to respect them for their strength and bravery in battle. The Natives said these men reminded them of their cherished buffalo because of the similar matted texture of the soldiers' human hair to that of the buffalo's whooly coat.

Units of all four Buffalo Soldier regiments served at Fort Concho from 1869-1885. The most famous was the famed 10th Cavalry, who had its headquarters at the fort from 1875-1882. Over Fort Concho’s twenty-two years of operation, the Buffalo Soldiers comprised more than HALF of the post’s total enlisted population.

Sadly, this is still a history that is unknown by the average Texan -- or American for that matter -- but is lauded with great pride in the African American community and beyond. Buffalo Soldiers, we salute you and thank you for your unheralded service and contribution to this...