Post headquarters
Ruins at fort McKavett State Historic Site
Painting of “The Redoubtable Soldier” including depiction of Emmanuel Stance by Don Stivers. (www.donstivers.com)
Buffalo Soldier reenactor at Fort McKavett
Buffalo Soldiers
The U.S. Army established Fort McKavett in 1852, but abandoned it by the end of the decade. In 1868, the fort reopened and elements of the U.S. Army’s four African American regiments —the Buffalo Soldiers—used fort McKavett during the Indian Wars. Sgt. Emmanuel Stance, one of the first Buffalo Soldiers to earn the Medal of Honor, was stationed here in 1870.
Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a Texas Historical Commission property with restored buildings and a visitors center featuring detailed exhibits that tell the real stories behind this place. The site is open daily and also hosts a number of events throughout the year, including the annual West Texas Heritage Days in the spring.
Fort McKavett State Historic Site
- Hours: Daily, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Admission: Adults: $4, Ages 6-18, Students with ID: $3
- 7066 FM 864, Fort McKavett, TX
- 325-396-2358
- Visit Website
- National Register of Historic Places, a Texas Historical Commission property
