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Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings
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FORT CONCHO
Texas
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Location: Tom Green County; the general area
bounded by Avenues "B" and "E," Rust Street, and South Oakes Street; San
Angelo.
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Fort Concho (1867-89) was one of a series of posts
guarding the Texas frontier during the post-Civil War era. After the
war, the Army reconstituted and reoccupied most of the antebellum posts
in western Texas guarding the San Antonio-El Paso RoadStockton,
Davis, Quitman, and Bliss. In addition, it constructed a new group of
postsRichardson, Griffin, and Concho. With Forts McKavett and
Clark, they formed an irregular line running from El Paso to the
northeastern border of Texas and separated Indian country from
settlements. At the very center of the line was Fort Concho, at the
confluence of the North and South Concho Rivers, where a number of
east-west trails converged to avoid the Staked Plains to the north and a
semidesert area to the south, both infested with Indians. Deep in Kiowa
and Comanche country, for more than two decades it was the headquarters
of such noted Indian fighters as Ranald S. Mackenzie, William R.
Shafter, Wesley Merritt, Anson Mills, and Benjamin H. Grierson. Situated
on the Goodnight-Loving Cattle Trail (1860-1880's) and the upper branch
of the San Antonio-El Paso Road, part of the Southern Transcontinental
Trail, the fort was also a way station for travelers, emigrants, and
cattlemen.
The garrison took part in no campaigns during the
first few years of the fort's existence. In 1869, however, it clashed
with Indians on two occasions on the Salt Fork of the Brazos River, and
it patrolled regularly to stem the forays of Kiowas and Comanches from
their "sanctuary" at Fort Sill, Indian Territory. Between 1870 and 1875
the troops accompanied Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie on several arduous
campaigns. One of them, in 1873, in the pursuit of Lipan and Kickapoo
raiders into Mexico, created an international incident. The garrison
also participated in the Red River War (1874-75) including Mackenzie's
victory at the Battle of Palo Duro Canyon (September 27, 1874), the
turning point in the war. The last major campaign involving Concho
forces was that against Victorio (1879-80).
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Barracks at Fort Concho.
(Fort Concho Museum Board) |
In 1930 a group of San Angelo citizens acquired the
old administration building of Fort Concho to house the West Texas
Museum, later renamed the Fort Concho Museum, and spearheaded a drive to
acquire the rest of the fort, which had passed into private hands in
1889, and develop it as a historic site. By mid-1969 the city had
acquired the entire property except for a couple of small residential
tracts and two large industrial sites. The complex, consisting of about
15 acres, is owned by the city and administered by the Fort Concho
Museum Board.
An outstanding collection of stone buildings may be
viewed. The main structure is the administration, or headquarters,
building (1876), which today serves as a visitor center and houses a
museum of Texas history. Other structures include nine sets of officers'
quarters; the restored chapel, which also served as a schoolhouse; two
barracks, reconstructed from the original stones, now housing museum
exhibits; and the powder magazine, which has been moved stone by stone
from its original site near the river and rebuilt behind the
barrracks.
NHL Designation: 07/04/61
http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/soldier-brave/siteb32.htm
Last Updated: 19-Aug-2005
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