Fort Davis National Historic Site, in Fort Davis, Texas, commemorates the fort’s role in settling the region and protecting travelers and merchants along the San Antonio-El Paso Road. The fort is one of the best preserved military posts in the Southwest. It was named for Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, who later became president of the Confederate States of America.
Concern for secure travel routes grew as more settlers headed to the West during the mid-1800’s. Travelers had to cross nearly 600 miles (970 kilometers) of wilderness between San Antonio and El Paso, and Indians attacked many travelers along the way. Fort Davis was established in 1854 in the heart of Apache and Comanche Indian raiding country. It was the first military outpost in the area. Troops stationed at the fort protected the route. The fort also offered shelter to travelers, and nearby Limpia Creek provided water.
Union forces abandoned the fort at the outbreak of the American Civil War (1861-1865). Little remained of the fort when troops returned in 1867. The soldiers began construction of a new post just east of the original site. The United States Army’s all-black 9th and 10th cavalry regiments and 24th and 25th infantry regiments were stationed at the fort. The Indians called the African American troops Buffalo Soldiers.
By the late 1880’s, the expansion of the railroads linked nearby towns with large cities. In addition, more civilians had settled in the area. There was little need for Fort Davis, and so the fort closed in 1891.
Visitors to the site can tour five stone and adobe buildings restored and refurnished to appear as they did in the 1880’s. Recordings of bugle calls and the sounds of an 1875 military procession play on the parade ground. Restored barracks house a visitor center and museum.
Congress authorized the site in 1961. The National Park Service established Fort Davis as a historic site in 1963.
