Fort Davis is one of the best preserved examples of a frontier military post in the American Southwest and serves as a reminder of the significant role played by the military in the settlement and development of the western frontier. The fort is perhaps best known as the headquarters for the first African-American Army regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers, stationed here during the late 1800s.

When the famed Buffalo Soldiers stepped out of their barracks, they saw a dramatic skyline created by the jagged cliffs of the rugged Davis Mountains. But this long-standing view was in jeopardy when the prominent 41-acre bluff overlooking the fort went up for sale in 2006.

Today, that view survives. We purchased the property in January 2010 from conservation buyer Roy Truitt and worked with the National Park Service to add the land to the Fort Davis National Historic Site. This was accomplished in early 2011.

“Protecting the entire viewshed of Fort Davis allows visitors to get the full experience of what life was like for the Buffalo Soldiers and other troops stationed at Fort Davis more than a hundred years ago,” said Andy Jones, director of the Fund’s Texas office. “We are incredibly thankful to Mr. Truitt and Mr. King, our congressional delegation and the many organizations and individuals who recognized this landscape as an integral part of telling the history of the Southwest.”

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Fort Davis National Historic Site
Places We Protect: Historic Lands