Local History
Texas Buffalo Soldiers Historical Markers: The Regiments That Held the Frontier
Four real Texas markers trace the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry, from Fort Concho to Fort Elliott. Here's where to find them on your drive.
Photo: Aaron Owens / Unsplash. Desert cactus.
Texas has more than 16,000 official historical markers. That's more than any other state. A good number stand at lonely West Texas forts, where the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry once held the frontier. RoadHistorical is a Texas historical preservation platform that helps you find these markers as you drive. This guide covers four real markers that tell their story.
Fort Concho and the 10th Cavalry
Start in San Angelo. The Fort Concho marker sits at the old post on South Oakes Street. The Army built the fort in 1867, where the North and South Concho Rivers meet.
In 1875, the 10th Cavalry made Fort Concho its regimental headquarters. Colonel Benjamin Grierson led them. These men, all Black soldiers, mapped roads, strung telegraph lines, and chased raiders across the Llano Estacado.
They held the post until 1882. Today the fort is a National Historic Landmark with two dozen original and restored buildings. You can walk the parade ground where the regiment once formed up.
630 S Oakes St, San Angelo, TX 76903
Find it in RoadHistorical before your visit.
Fort Stockton and Colonel Hatch's Ninth
Drive west to Fort Stockton. The Historic Fort Stockton marker stands at the old barracks on East Third Street. Colonel Edward Hatch rebuilt this post in July 1867.
Hatch commanded the 9th Cavalry. He brought four companies of Buffalo Soldiers to guard the road west and the water at Comanche Springs. The springs were among the biggest in Texas, and every traveler on the San Antonio to El Paso road stopped here.
The soldiers escorted mail, guarded stage stations, and patrolled hundreds of miles of open country. Barracks number one still stands. It holds the fort museum today.
300 E Third St, Fort Stockton, TX 79735
Find it in RoadHistorical before your visit.
Fort Davis and Lieutenant Flipper
Head into the Davis Mountains. The Fort Davis marker sits at the post on Lieutenant Flipper Drive. The street name is no accident. Henry O. Flipper served here.
Flipper was the first Black graduate of West Point. He earned his commission in 1877 and joined the 10th Cavalry. At Fort Davis he built roads and drainage ditches, and one of those ditches still carries his name.
From 1867 to 1885, every Black cavalry and infantry regiment spent time at this fort. Fourteen Buffalo Soldiers earned the Medal of Honor on the Texas frontier. Few frontier forts survive in better shape today.
101 Lt Flipper Dr, Fort Davis, TX 79734
Find it in RoadHistorical before your visit.
Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Elliott
Now drive north to the Panhandle. The Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Elliott marker stands near Mobeetie, off State Highway 152. The Texas Historical Commission placed it in 2012.
Fort Elliott went up in 1875 to keep the southern Plains tribes on their reservations. Companies of the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th and 25th Infantry rotated through for fifteen years. A young Henry Flipper served here too.
The fort closed in 1889, and the town of Mobeetie faded with it. The marker keeps the soldiers' service on the map.
Fort Elliott Marker, Mobeetie, TX 79061
Find it in RoadHistorical before your visit.
How RoadHistorical Finds These Markers
These forts sit far apart, on roads with thin cell coverage. RoadHistorical works for exactly that kind of drive. Turn on Discovery Mode and the app tells you when you're passing a marker, so you never blow by one at 70 miles an hour.
Stop, and the AI Tour Guide answers the questions the plaque leaves out. Who was Edward Hatch? What happened to Mobeetie? It all works offline too, so a dead signal in the Davis Mountains won't leave you guessing.
Start Discovering Texas History Today
RoadHistorical is free to download on the App Store for iPhone. Download it here and turn on Discovery Mode before your next drive. Android users: sign up for early access at roadhistorical.app.
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