Fort Davis
High in the Davis Mountains and surrounded by unspoiled vistas of the Chihuahan Desert, the little town of Fort Davis feels far removed from the rest of the world.
The town stretches just one mile with most of the family-owned businesses centered around the county courthouse and along the main street. It has the feel of a western frontier town offering a retreat to a simpler past and a chance to soak in the natural surrounding beauty, abundant wildlife and rich history of the area.
Past to Present
Fort Davis takes its name from the military post established there in 1854 along the San Antonio – El Paso Road. The fort was manned by companies of the Eighth U.S. infantry to protect immigrants, freighters and mail coaches from raids by Apache and Comanche Indians in the area.
Starting in 1867, the fort was home to four companies of the Ninth U.S. Calvary – African-American soldiers that had become known as “Buffalo Soldiers”. Fort Davis soon became a major military installment and the town grew right alongside it boasting a dairy, lumber yard, bakery, furniture store, several hotels, a mercantile, and saloons.
Even after the fort closed, the community of Fort Davis grew as a ranching center and by the early 1900s attracted wealthy vacationers from the Gulf Coast seeking the mild climate of the high desert during the summer months. The intriguing history of the area drew more tourists with the designation of the fort as a national historic site in 1961. Many of its buildings have been restored making it on the best surviving examples of a frontier military post in the Southwest. Stargazers, birdwatchers, cyclists, and hikers have also sought out the “Highest Town in Texas” for access to McDonald Observatory and Davis Mountain State Park and Indian Lodge.
