FORT STOCKTON, Texas — Saturday was Living History Day at Historic Fort Stockton.
A day when historical re-enactors come from all over Texas to help give guests to the Fort a peek into what life was like inside it way back in the day.
“This has been going on for decades," said Ross Harper, Director of Historic Fort Stockton. "So the community is really supportive of this.”
History often has the stereotype of being boring in school because of how much information you have to take in.
But when you bring re-enactors in the mix, it might not feel like that.
“Re-enactors are an amazing group of people," said Harper. "They are like history teachers, but they teach children in 15 minutes as much as they would learn in a whole semester in a classroom.”
Local Fort Stockton resident and re-enactor Robert Preston knows firsthand how effective re-enactors can be when teaching history.
Especially when it comes to the children, and there's one thing that makes them turn their heads.
“We like passing history onto the children and one of the greatest things about using a cannon is you immediately get their attention," said Preston. "And if you fire it several times, no matter what else they’re looking at, they’ll turn and see what you’re doing and they’re happy to get over here.”
The community of Fort Stockton cares deeply about the history of their city.
And the fort it gets its name from is part of that history. There will always be those willing to help teach others about it.