Life of a Frontier Soldier

There's hardly a better place in all the West to imagine the life of a frontier soldier.  Fort Davis National Historic Site makes this possible.  You can tour the barracks and hospital, officers' homes, see kitchens and even march on the parade grounds.  Soldiers serving at Fort Davis were Buffalo Soldiers, African Americans who contributed greatly to the development of the West.  Read more about them here.

You can see a series of short videos chronicling a day in the life of a soldier here. 

Thanks to the Texas Historical Commission for the photos in today's post!

The beautiful light of Fort Leaton

The bright, clear blue of the sky and the light playing off the rough adobe walls of Fort Leaton makes this place near Presidio a photographer's dream.  And there's plenty of history to absorb too.  This is a state park facility, open for everyone to enjoy.  Their website says, "In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851. In 1936, the Texas Centennial Commission placed a marker at the site."  Inside, there are interpretive exhibits that tell the story of the area, including the pre-history of the area, through Ben Leaton's day, to present day stories.

The Power of Restoration - Fort Davis

Photo from Library of Congresss:  Historic American Buildings Survey, Marvin Eickenroht, Photographer May 23, 1936 NORTHEAST ELEVATION OFFICERS QUARTERS (EAST FRONT AND NORTH SIDE).
HABS TEX,122-FODA,1-3

Frankly, we were shocked to see photographs of Fort Davis in the collection of the Library of Congress, dating back to 1936, forty-five years after the closing of the fort.  Today the fort is so loved, it is almost unimaginable to think of the property in such disrepair. 

Why was the fort abandoned?  From the National Park Service website:   "It was peaceful during the last ten years (1881-1891) the fort was in existence. Soldiers from the fort still patrolled the western frontier, but they were more involved in surveying or repairing roads and telegraph lines. The fort, however, continued to grow. By the late 1880s, it had gas lightening, running water, and an ice machine. It had over one hundred buildings, and its excellent hospital treated people from all around the area – not just people who lived at the fort.
   The post, nevertheless, was isolated. Located twenty miles from the nearest railroad station, it was built on land the government did not own. Raiding by Comanches or Apaches was over. By June of 1891, the army had judged Fort Davis to have “outlived its usefulness” and ordered it - one of the largest and most prominent frontier military posts in the American Southwest - to be abandoned."

The Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce picks up the story: "In May 1946 David A. Simmons of Houston, former president of the American Bar Association, bought the property on which the old fort stood with the intention of restoring it and opening it to the public as a year-round resort. Simmons died in 1951, before his plan could be realized, but in September 1961 Fort Davis National Historic Site came into being; the 460-acre site was formally dedicated in April 1966."

This fall, the Fort Davis National Historic Site will celebrate its 50 years as a National Park Service facility. (Stay tuned for information on the celebration!)  Clearly, we're the benefactors of the advocacy, love and care and funding from others coming before us...we still have the fort to enjoy and tell us about the past.  Restoration continues with the leadership of the National Park Service staff and many volunteers. 

In fact, restoration of the fort hospital is an ongoing and active project, aided by the Friends of Fort Davis.  Read about it here.   And in recent years, land was purchased above the property to preserve its pristine setting.  You can join the effort by becoming a member of the friends organization, here.

Read more about the history of the fort, here.

Texas Mountain Ride--a two day overnight on bikes!

Hwy 90 between Alpine and Marfa

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Marathon's French Co. Grocer, a great place for snacks and cycling supplies

Cool treats available at Alpine's Murphy Street Raspa Co.

Beautiful Presidio County Courthouse in Marfa

Adventure Cycling Association published our three-day, two-night cycling itinerary for Marathon, Alpine, Fort Davis and Marfa today on their new Bike Overnights blog, and we wanted to share some of the photographs that didn't get posted on that great new resource for adventurous travelers.  (Thanks to Marci Roberts for the rainbow photograph of Marathon's French Co. Grocery!)

For more regional cycling information, please visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/bike  and click through to see our heritage bike routes, mountain biking information and a list of cycle-friendly hotels! 

Saved and Open!

Fort Davis National Historic Site

Life is getting back to normal in Fort Davis and nearly every place you love about that community is ready and open for your visit.

An exception is Davis Mountains State Park and Indian Lodge.  Though the Park had some burning, most of it was unscathed--and that includes Indian Lodge, which was completely untouched!--it is being used as a staging area for the firefighters.  It is scheduled to reopen by May 1, so plan to come back and support them!!!  The entire town can use YOUR support by scheduling a road trip and patronizing their restaurants, shops, hotels, B&Bs, campgrounds and the other businesses in town!  A town cannot survive without its businesses, and a business cannot survive without customers.  Help out by being a customer in Fort Davis soon!

Fort Leaton history set straight

Sometimes our history is mistaken and even mismarked.  One of the markers at Fort Leaton State Historic Site near Presidio reads, "About 1773, the Spanish garrison at Presidio del Norte, present Ojinaga, Mexico, established El Fortin de San Jose in this vicinity to protect local farmers.  The settlement retained the name after the post was abandoned about 1810, after Ben Leaton had acquired extensive property in the area in 1848.  The community came to be called Fort Leaton.  Ben Leaton's fortress is all that remains of the old settlement.  Fort Leaton is neither the site of the original Presidio del Norte nor the Spanish mission Apotal Santiago, as stated erroneously by earlier markers at this location." 

Visit yourself to see all the markers and find the contradictions!

Today's Feature:  Far West Texas Wildlife Trail Map!

Fort Leaton and the Loma Paloma Golf Course and RV Park across the street (just outside of Presidio) are both viewing sites on this new regional map for birders and wildlife enthusiasts!  You can read more about these sites here, and purchase the map for yourself ($2) here!

Soldiers Raising the Flag at Fort Davis National Historic Site

Fort Davis, established in 1854, is one of the best preserved frontier forts in the Southwest.  Today, the Fort Davis National Historic Site stands ready for visitors to teach about the ways of the west in the 19th century.

Self-guided tours of restored and re-furnished buildings; hiking (connecting with trails of adjacent Davis Mountain State Park); and a 15-minute video shown every half-hour. Pets on leash are permitted.

Firing a Civil War Ordnance at Fort Davis National Historic Site

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to catch a demonstration of the firing of a Civil War era ordnance (that's a cannon to most of us!) at the Fort Davis National Historic Site.  The soldiers wore long underwear and heavy wool uniforms in the hot sun, and provided a great program for Spring Break visitors.  They first fired the gun, then they walked us through the entire process. 

Click here to watch a slideshow of photographs.

Click here to watch a video of the demonstration, followed by footage of a real firing of the gun.  Real smoke!  Real boom! 

Trailrunning on Fort Davis National Historic Site's Hospital Canyon Trail

...or rather taking a break from trailrunning to contemplate the beautiful view!

Fort Davis National Historic Site and the Davis Mountains State Park are connected by a hiking trail, that also provides the trail runner with a challenging opportunity.  We headed up the Hospital Canyon Trail on the Fort side, which connects to the state park's trail on the top of the mountain.  You can run (or hike) up rocky inclines, through swaths of grasses, by cacti, through wooded areas, and get treated to beautiful vistas of the land below.

Here's a link to trail maps for the state park.  For regional hiking information, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike

Video Week Continues: Fort Leaton's Adobe Walls

Just east of Presidio, there's a unique and beautiful historic site, Fort Leaton.  From the TPWD website, "In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851."

Photographers love this spot along the Rio Grande because of the way the light looks on the adobe walls, and the contrast with the deep blue skies most days.

If your travels take you to Hwy 170, the River Road, plan to include Fort Leaton on your itinerary!

Take a Walk in the Barracks of a Frontier Fort: Fort Davis National Historic Site

The National Park Service website has this to say about Fort Davis:  "Fort Davis is one of the best surviving examples of an Indian Wars' frontier military post in the Southwest. 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 on the Chihuahua Trail."

Touring Fort Davis National Historic Site today, you fet a very real feel of what it was like to live and work at the fort.  A tour of the barracks is a highlight, as is hearing the reveille on the parade grounds.  It takes very little imagination to put yourself back to that era.

We thank the Texas Historical Commission and Randy Mallory for making this photo available~

A Preservation Success Story: Fort Davis National Historic Site

This is good news!  The Conservation Fund announced a deal has been finalized to transfer ownership of a 48 acre bluff overlooking Fort Davis National Historic Site to the National Park Service, thereby preserving the character of this impressive and historic location in Fort Davis.  You can read the full story here in the Alpine Avalanche; and more about the sale is here.  The sale is the result of the hard work and advocacy of many in Fort Davis and around the country over four years.

Fort Davis National Historic Site is perhaps the best preserved frontier fort in the west, and tells the story of the post-Civil War era and the story of African American soldiers of the time.

You can read more about African American history in Texas, here!
To see a list of African American historic sites in the Texas Mountain Trail region, click here to go to the Texas Historical Commission's webpage.

McDonald Observatory at Dawn

Astronomers work all night at McDonald Observatory's Hobby-Eberle telescope, among the world's most powerful.

Our thanks to Pete S. for sharing this wonderful photograph of McDonald Observatory.  Stay tuned all week for Pete's photos of sights from Fort Davis to the Observatory!

Fort Leaton

Fort Leaton, just east of Presidio, is a great place to go in the dead of winter.  Just off the Rio Grande, the temperatures are generally quite comfortable and warmer than at the higher elevations in the region.  From the TPWD website:  " Fort Leaton State Historic Site, consisting of 23.4 acres, five of which are the site of a pioneer trading post, is located in Presidio County. The park was acquired December 8, 1967, by deed from a private owner and was opened to the public in 1978.
In 1848, Ben Leaton built a fortified adobe trading post known as Fort Leaton. He dominated border trade with the Apache and Comanche Indians before he died in 1851. In 1936, the Texas Centennial Commission placed a marker at the site."

In addition to visiting this beautiful adobe structure--which is a photographer's dream--Fort Leaton (along with the Barton Warnock Environmental Education Center) is a place you can buy backpacking and camping permits for Big Bend Ranch State Park. 

Slideshow of Hospital Canyon Trail at Fort Davis National Historic Site

Yesterday we headed out to Fort Davis to hike the Hospital Canyon Trail at Fort Davis National Historic Site.  This is a short (1 mile to the boundary with Davis Mountains State Park) but moderately challenging hike that offers beautiful vistas and a satisfying workout!  Click here to see a slideshow of views from the trail!   The trail begins behind the Fort's hospital complex, which is being restored to show the "state of the art" of military medicine in the 1870s.  It is an adobe structure built on a stone foundation, and was the site for taking care of soldiers, mostly suffering from disease and injury, not battle wounds.  To read more about the history of the hospital, click here.

Click here to read a fascinating history of the Fort!

Click here to reach our regional hiking page with information about additional trails in Far West Texas!

Total Lunar Eclipse tonight!

Pictured here is our own famed McDonald Observatory north of Fort Davis.  Lots of you will want to include a visit to the Observatory in your holiday plans....so here's a link to information on their holiday hours! 

Tonight many of us will set our alarm clocks for the middle of the night to see a total lunar eclipse...read more about it here!  Where else to see it but our incredible dark skies???

Thanks to Randy Mallory and the Texas Historical Commission for providing us this great photograph!

My Sight Picture at Fort Davis National Historic Site

Here's a great shot of Fort Davis National Historic Site nestled against the mountains, taken by our friend, Derrick Birdsall during his trip last week to the Texas Mountain Trail Region.  We think Derrick has a great eye for the human scale vs the majesty of our mountains.  Here's Derrick's original entry on is blog, My Sight Picture.

Tomorrow, we'll travel with Derrick down to Big Bend Ranch State Park!

Derrick Birdsall Week begins!

From time to time, we feature the work of friends we've met through our Facebook and Twitter communities..this week we're showing the pictures of Derrick Birdsall, a photographer with a wonderful eye and a frequent visitor to our region.  Today and tomorrow, we'll show Derrick's images from Fort Davis National Historic Site in Fort Davis.  Later in the week, we'll show his images from Big Bend Ranch State Park!

To keep up with Derrick's photography, we invite you to become a frequent visitor to his photography blog, My Sight Picture.

This particular photograph is from this blog entry by Derrick from last month!

More views from Davis Mountains State Park

More views along the Skyline Mountain Biking Trail in Davis Mountains State Park....great for hiking too!  The park's website describes the trail this way:  "Skyline Drive Mountain Bike Trail , Use: mountain biking and hiking.  This 3.25-mile loop trail was designed with mountain bikers in mind, but hikers are welcome as well. Starting in the park’s campground, the trail joins with the original route of Skyline Drive, hand-built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. Elevations range from 4932’ to 5300’ on this undulating trail, which offers prime views of the Limpia Canyon riparian corridor.

For regional hiking information, visit:  www.texasmountaintrail.com/hike
For regional cycling information, visit: www.texasmountaintrail.com/bike

Snippet of tour at Fort Davis National Historic Site

The folks at Fort Davis National Historic Site do a wonderful job bringing life to history.  Here's a bit of a tour give by Matt Walter as he explains how the Indian Wars were fought.  Consider adding a tour of the Fort to your next visit to the Texas Mountain Trail region.