The Western Frontier

19 Mar 2025

Welcome to Fort Davis National Historic Site!

We haven't had a lot of US history on our trip so far, focusing on more geologic timescales. But on our way down to Big Bend National Park, TX, we passed right next to Fort Davis National Historic Site, TX. Fort Davis was a frontier outpost along the San Antonio-El Paso Road, acting as a major military staging point during the Indian Wars in the 1800s. It was later abandoned and eventually given to the National Park Service to preserve.

We're still in the desert, so still have yucca family plants hanging out, this one is the first we'd seen that still has flowers on it.

Fort Davis doesn't have a major wall structure around it, so winds up looking a lot like a farm.

A few of the houses had been restored with period-accurate furnishings. We first visited the officer housing.

Then we headed to the enlisted barracks

There was also an equipment room with the guns and transportation that they used while the fort was active. The guns were primarily used for field combat, but the Mountain Howitzer wound up being the star of the show for expeditions, as it could be taken apart into 3 pieces that a team of mules could carry up the mountain passes. All of the equipment was pulled or carried by mule, as the terrain around Fort Davis is made up of canyons, hills, cliffs, and plains. The fastest way around the area was by mule.

Finally, we wandered out to part of the fort that was nothing but foundations, where buildings had collapsed and been cleared.

We enjoyed seeing the Fort, but we were pressed for time so didn't even make it over to the commissary or mess hall areas that were also restored. Instead, we needed to get back on the road and keep heading toward Big Bend National Park!