Lt. Henry O. Flipper and Buffalo Soldier Historic Sites

Lt. Henry O. Flipper

Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper, the first African American graduate of West Point spent much of his life and career in our Texas Mountain Trail region.


African-American soldiers are important to our nation's and our region's history.  The term "buffalo soldiers" has come to mean the African American soldiers who served in the Army between the Civil War and World War I.  Buffalo soldiers were often stationed--and served bravely--at the leading edge of the western frontier.

While stationed at Fort Davis, Flipper endured a humiliating court-martial in 1882, which was driven by racism.  Flipper always maintained his innocence, and indeed, he was fully exonerated 100 years later with a full pardon by President Clinton.

After his court-martial and discharge from the Army, Flipper worked at a mining engineer, surveyor, and translator.  He lived for many years in El Paso,

Read more about his life here (on our Texas Mountain Trail site) and here (on the Fort Davis National Historic Site).  Click here to read about Flipper's life in El Paso.

Click here to read about Buffalo Soldier historical sites in our Texas Mountain Trail region.  A few are pictured below:

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Post Park, south of Marathon

Gate at historic El Paso Concordia Cemetery
honoring Buffalo Soldiers

Concordia Cemetery, Buffalo Soldier resting place

El Paso is a city of surprising charm, and a diligent community of Texas heritage champions make it a wonderful city for discovering our past.  Take note of the Buffalo Soldier section of Concordia Cemetery.


Don't know about Buffalo Soldiers? Read this from our Texas Mountain Trail website:

"Buffalo Soldiers, a name the Plains Indians gave to the African American cavalry regiments serving the frontier after the Civil War, represent the genesis of the long struggle to integrate both the U.S. military and a society moving towards a more democratic union. Made up of both volunteers and draftees, the cavalry and infantry regiments-two out of four segregated African American regiments authorized by Congress-fought in the Indian wars, battling the likes of Apache, Comanche, and Sioux warriors.

Despite their courage and valor on the battlefield, Buffalo Soldiers received only moderately better treatment by the Anglo society than the Native Americans they were conscripted to fight against. Once the Indian Wars ended, Buffalo Soldiers continued to serve the military by fighting on several fronts, yet they suffered the afflictions of segregation along with the rest of the state's African American community. Although the two cavalry units were eventually disbanded, the remaining regiments continued fighting for the country well into World War ll. The final segregated regiment was disbanded in 1951 and its soldiers were integrated into units serving in Korea. Today, Buffalo Soldiers reside among the list of our most venerated warrior veterans and their heritage is celebrated with reenactments, literary accounts of their exploits, and in film.

Buffalo Soldier re-enactors at a TWPD event

Pictured above is the gate to the Buffalo Soldier Memorial in this special place.   Visitation information is here.

Click HERE to see "before" and "after" photos of this portion of the cemetery....its many volunteers have done a wonderful job honoring early African American soldiers in the region. 

Concordia Cemetery volunteers corralled the resources of many individuals and groups to honor the souls who contributed to the development of the region, including this group.



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Chinese Cemetery in El Paso

El Paso’s Concordia Cemetery is chock full of history—there’s a section for Buffalo Soldiers, a “Boot Hill” for gunfighters and a unique Chinese Cemetery.

Concordia’s website says this:

“Chinese Immigrants first arrived in El Paso shortly before the Southern Union Pacific Railroad completed its line here in 1881.  The earliest immigrants opened a rooming house and a grocery store.  Soon afterwards, the U.S. Government passed the “Chinese Exclusion Act (1882), which restricted Chinese immigration.  However, enough Chinese immigrants remained to create a vibrant community throughout El Paso into the early 1920s. 

At one time downtown El Paso’s Chinese community was the largest in the state of Texas.  Chinese contributed to the area’s economy largely by growning and selling fruits and vegetables for the local market and by opening businesses, including laundries and restaurants frequented by male sojourners.  Expatriates send earnings to familes in China, wit the intention of returning to China someday.  Others stayed and married and raised families both in El Paso and Juarez.  The El Paso Chinese community retained their native culture through language (most spoke in Taishanese dialect) food, community associations, and tradition.

During the 20^th century, Chinese continued to migrate to El Paso.  During the Mexican Revolution, General John “Black Jack” Pershing brought hundreds of Chinese into the United States from Mexico for their protection from racial violence.  They were allowed to immigrate following General Pershings’ petitioning of Congress.  The Chinese continued to migrate to El Paso during the Great Depression of the 1930s, prompted by the Communist takeover of China.  Today, the Chinese El Pasoan’s continue to maintain a sense of community in the city they helped build."

A truly wonderful place to step back into history, Concordia Cemetery has earned recognition including True West magazine's "Best Preserved Gravesite in the West," and from the Texas Historical Commission a RIP Guardian designation.  The Concordia Heritage Association also won the Clara Driscoll Award for Preservation.

If you would like to help the Concordia Heritage Association, you can donate here.

A good ride in El Paso

Historic Union Station in El Paso
(photo by Randy Mallory, courtesy: Texas Historical Commission)

Inside the historic Plaza Theatre, in downtown El Paso

Along the route is Concordia Cemetery, and the grave of famed gunfighter, John Wesley Hardin!

There's a great bike route mapped by El Paso's GeoBetty.com from cycle-friendly hotel Hyatt Place El Paso Airport to downtown.  Here's the route, which is rated as an easy 12 mile ride.  More photos of sights along the way are here!  In addition to downtown's museum and cultural campus, the ride takes you past historic Concordia Cemetery and the lovely Magoffin Home, a facility maintained by the Texas Historical Commission.

Honoring the Buffalo Soldiers, Concordia Cemetery in El Paso

One of the best stories and most distinguished histories coming out of our region is that of the Buffalo Solider. 
Many visitors to our region appreciate Fort Davis National Historic Site's connection to Buffalo Soldiers.  Yet our history goes beyond Fort Davis.

Enthusiastic volunteers keep the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers alive elsewhere.  For example, different groups of volunteers have worked together in El Paso to honor the soldiers.  One of the best places to see their work is in Concordia Cemetery in the shadow of the Franklin Mountains in the center of the city.  Click here to see the website of the Buffalo Soldiers, Donnie W. Brown Chapter, 9th & 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association of El Paso, Texas.


Here's a quote from their website:  "When the Plains Indians first saw the men of the 10th Cavalry wearing with their dark skins, curly hair and wearing fur overcoats they referred to them as "Buffalo Soldiers." The nickname "Buffalo Soldiers" was originally given to the 10th Cavalry by Cheyenne warriors out of respect for their fierce fighting in 1867. The Cheyenne Native American term used was actually "Wild Buffaloes", which was translated to "Buffalo Soldiers." In time, all African American Soldiers became known as "Buffalo Soldiers." Despite second-class treatment these soldiers made up first-rate regiments of the highest caliber and had the lowest desertion rate in the Army."
 
True West magazine named Concordia Cemetery one of the "Best Preserved Gravesites in the West," and that's because of the countless hours put in by volunteers to preserve the cemetery and interpret the stories of the people of El Paso.  An entire section of the cemetery is dedicated to the graves and the service of the Buffalo Soldiers.  Hats off to the volunteers of the Concordia Heritage Association and the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club for all their hard work!

Watch the memorial as it is built, through photos posted by the El Paso Buffalo Soliders Motorcycle Club...page down at this link!

Chinese Railway Worker Graves at Concordia Cemetery

El Paso's Concordia Cemetery is one of the most diverse and interesting cemeteries you'd find anywhere.  There are graves of gun fighters, Buffalo Soldiers, and early citizens from distinct cultures such as Chinese railway workers. 

Known as El Paso's "Boot Hill," Concordia is designated as a Texas State Historical Cemetery, and has an active volunteer group that helps maintain the cemetery, organizes appreciation and interpretive events and promotes an understanding of El Paso's history.  Other recognition and awards include:  2010 True West magazine's "Best of the West" designation, and 2008 Clara Driscoll Award by Preservation Texas.

Close to the center of the city and the airport, the cemetery is graced by a view of the Franklin  Mountains.  It is a wonderful place to get a sense of the El Paso's past and the Old West!

Today's Feature:  Cycle-friendly Hyatt Place El Paso Airport hotel Conveniently located near the airport and the center of the city (and not far from Concordia Cemetery!) is the Hyatt Place El Paso Airport.  They participate in our Texas Mountain Trail cycle-friendly program, allowing bike parking inside rooms, packed lunches or snacks for a day's adventure, and van transportation to nearby locations including Crazy Cat Cyclery near the airport.

Chinese Graves in El Paso's Concordia Cemetery

One of the fascinating places to visit in El Paso is Concordia Cemetery, named by True West Magazine as this year's "Best of the West!"  There you can experience the complexity of the history of this part of the west, as you see graves of Buffalo Soldiers, gunfighters, Texas Rangers, Civil War veterans, early settlers, and Chinese railroad workers. 

The Concordia Heritage Association's excellent website has a full page devoted to the history of the Chinese in El Paso, as well as more photos of this part of the cemetery.  Be advised this website plays music...be prepared for some audio!

Gunfighter John Wesley Hardin Grave in El Paso's Concordia Cemetery

El Paso’s Boot Hill

"Concordia Cemetery a Texas State Historical Site"
Winner of the 2010 True West Magazine "Best of the West"
Winner of the 2008 "Preservation Texas" "Clara Driscoll Award" for Preservation

Known as Concordia during the 1840s, this area was the home of Chihuahua trader Hugh Stephenson. In 1856 his wife, Juana (Ascarate), was buried in what is now part of Concordia Cemetery. The graveyard gained widespread use in the 1880s when El Pasoans drove three miles to Concordia to bury their dead.
By 1890 various sections had been purchased by different groups and were designated Catholic, Masonic, Jewish, Black, Chinese, Military, Jesuit, city, and county. Buried here are over 60,000 people including gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, Buffalo Soldiers, Texas Rangers, Civil War Veterans, early Mormon pioneers, Florida (Lady Flo) Wolf, Lawman John Selman and was formerly the first burial site for Mexican Revolution President Victoriano Huerta.and numerous other civic leaders, pioneers, and war veterans.

The cemetery is open 365 days a year. Fall -Winter: November to March 8:00AM to 5:00PM. Spring - Summer: April to October. 8:00AM to 8:00PM
Cemetery website.

John Wesley Hardin's Grave

Old West and gunfighter enthusiasts know El Paso's Concordia Cemetery is the final resting place of the famed John Wesley Hardin.

Concordia Cemetery also has a section for Buffalo Soldiers, Chinese railway workers as well as graves of many generations of El Pasoans who have made that city an interesting place. Lovingly tended with the leadership of the Concordia Cemetery Association, there are interpretive and wayfinding signs to help the visitor.

Buffalo Soldiers

A favorite place for history enthusiasts is the Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis. Not only is it one of the best surviving examples of a frontier fort in the Southwest, but it also provides us an important glimpse into the role of African Americans in the West.

The 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry and the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry, all-black regiments established after the Civil War, were stationed at the post.

There is a free admission day at the Fort this coming Labor Day. Check it out!

If you're in El Paso, you might want to visit Concordia Cemetery, which has a special section for Buffalo Soldier graves.

Photo: courtesy of Fort Davis National Historic Site

Chinese in El Paso

El Paso was the home to many Chinese railroad workers who chose to stay in that city after the railway was completed. Concordia Cemetery has a special section for those graves. You can read more about the Chinese in El Paso, here.