Fort Davis National Historic Site

Infobox_protected_area | name = Fort Davis National Historic Site
iucn_category =

---

caption =
locator_x = 98
locator_y = 142
location = Jeff Davis County, Texas, USA
nearest_city = Fort Davis, Texas
lat_degrees = 30
lat_minutes = 35
lat_seconds = 45
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 103
long_minutes = 55
long_seconds = 33
long_direction = W
locmapin=Texas
area = 474 acres (1.92 km²)
established = September 8, 1961
visitation_num = 51,858
visitation_year = 2005
governing_body = National Park Service

Fort Davis National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located in unincorporated Jeff Davis County, Texas. Located within the Davis Mountains of West Texas, the historic site was established in 1961 in order to protect one of the best remaining examples of a United States Army fort in the southwestern United States.

From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons on the Trans-Pecos portion of the San Antonio-El Paso Road and the Chihuahua Trail, and to control activities on the southern stem of the Great Comanche War Trail and Mescalero Apache war trails. Fort Davis is important in understanding the presence of African Americans in the West and in the frontier military because the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry and the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry, all-black regiments (known as the Buffalo Soldiers), which were established after the American Civil War, were stationed at the post.

Today, twenty-four restored historic buildings and over 100 ruins and foundations are part of Fort Davis National Historic Site. Five of the historic buildings have been refurnished to the 1880s, making it easy for visitors to envision themselves being at the fort at the height of its development. A self-guided tour of the fort begins at the site's visitor center. Living history demonstrations are common during the summer months.

Fort Davis National Historic Site was authorized as a unit of the National Park System in 1961 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/foda/index.htm Fort Davis National Historic Site]
* [http://texashistory.unt.edu/search/?q=%22Fort+Davis+National+Historic+Site+%28Tex.%29%22&t=dc.subject Photos of Fort Davis National Historic Site from the Portal to Texas History]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/tx/ South and West Texas, a National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage" Travel Itinerary]
* [http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/FF/hlf24.html Fort Davis, Texas] Handbook of Texas Online