Fort Concho's Story Is Also a Buffalo Soldier Story

Fort Concho did not sit beside an established city. The city grew across the river from the post. The Army established the fort in 1867 near where branches of the Concho meet. From there, soldiers guarded frontier settlements and mapped West Texas. A civilian trading town took shape nearby and became San Angelo.

The fort's story is also a Buffalo Soldier story. Men from all four Black Army regiments served here: the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and the Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry. Black troops made up half of the soldiers assigned to Fort Concho over its active years. The post also served as headquarters for the Tenth Cavalry from 1875 to 1882.

The last soldiers left in June 1889, but much of the place survived. The city now operates Fort Concho as a museum and National Historic Landmark. Original and restored stone buildings, including barracks and officers' quarters, still stand around the old parade ground.

That layout makes the history easy to read on foot: Army buildings on one side of the river, downtown San Angelo on the other. The visitor center is in Barracks 1. Tour hours, fees, weather changes, and accessibility details can change.