Fort Concho Celebrates Buffalo Soldiers

Henry Crawford, a retired curator of history at Texas Tech Museum and a longtime living history re-enactor, will speak at Fort Concho on Buffalo Solider Heritage Day about the life and times of these soldiers.

Crawford’s talk will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, at the fort’s Commissary Building at Burgess Street and East Avenue C. The fort will also offer a display of original and replica uniforms, equipment and weaponry dating from the 1870s and 1880s. The program is free to all and refreshments will be available.

Fort Concho’s Buffalo Soldier volunteers will also be on hand during the event, representing the troops who served at the post from 1869-85.

Buffalo Soldier Heritage Day is the annual celebration of the contributions of the African-American soldiers posted at Fort Concho and across the West. For some periods in Fort Concho’s active military years, all of the enlisted soldiers were black. Over the fort’s 22-year history, black troops represented exactly half of the total number of soldiers serving.

Buffalo Soldier Heritage Day marks the second event in Fort Concho’s 150th birthday year. The fort was established in December 1867.

For more information, call Fort Concho at 325-657-4444 or visit fortconcho.com.