FORT DAVIS, Texas — On the hallowed grounds of Fort Davis National Historic Site, there is so much history ranging from the enlisted men’s barracks to the officer's private quarters. With a legacy that dates back to before the civil war, the fort is truly unique.
In Fort Davis, the fort gives you more than enough opportunity to go back in time.
“This is about right here where that was drawn, and that’s just us trying to line up – it’s better in the winter when you don’t have all the trees in the way – but we line up where we see the angles of the cliffs," said Chelsea Rios, chief of interpretation at Fort Davis, about the images and locations where the original fort was built in the pre-civil war era.
Although the original fort is no longer standing, it helped lead the way for the fort that stands today -- a fort that took advantage of a second chance after the civil war.
“This military presence is going to grow in 1867, so this is going to become a cavalry fort," said Rios. "You’re looking at it’s heighth – almost 700 enlisted men stationed here – and then you’re going to have officers and families and civilian contractors all living here in Fort Davis, and so tremendous growth and diversity here in the community.”
The fort still includes the hospital, officer’s row, housing for families and all that’s left of the post chapel -- ruins that also once served as a schoolhouse and library.
Walk into the enlisted men’s barracks and park ranger Sebastian Flores will tell you about the soldiers who called it home.
“The enlisted men’s barracks here is so greatly detailed of who the soldiers were that you’re actually looking at their beds where they were staying to the uniforms and stuff that we have on the walls, but we can dive into any of these names that are on here and tell you that soldiers’ life story," said Flores.
The fort is different from others like it.
“Fort Davis in itself uniquely is the best-preserved southwestern frontier fort in the United States," said Flores. "There are other southwestern forts out there, but none are as best preserved as this one -- so that's very unique to not only West Texas, but it's a big star on the map for anybody who's looking for research or wanting to see what an old frontier fort actually looked like."
As the sun sets and rises in the Davis Mountains, the fort serves as a time machine in West Texas.
“In the open, on the grounds when you get to see the whole fort in front of you, where you can see the enlisted men’s barracks and the officer's quarters and the hospital – you’re seeing just this giant quilt of stories in front of you, but you’re also seeing the natural landscape and what drew the people here to begin with," said Rios.
For more information on Fort Davis National Historic Site, click here.