Fort Concho was established in 1867 at the confluence of the North and South Concho Rivers to protect West Texas settlers, mail routes, and travelers from Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache raids, and to support railroad and stagecoach expansion across the frontier. Over its more than two decades of active service, the post garrisoned infantry and cavalry units, including the African American 9th and 10th Cavalry and 24th and 25th Infantry, known as Buffalo Soldiers, alongside white regiments. Daily garrison life centered on barracks for enlisted men, separate officers' quarters, a post hospital, a chapel and schoolhouse, a commissary, and stables to support mounted patrols and courier duty across the region. The Army abandoned the post in 1889 as the frontier line moved west and the threat of raids subsided. Today Fort Concho is recognized as one of the best-preserved frontier military forts in the United States and is operated by the City of San Angelo as a National Historic Landmark museum complex. The grounds retain sixteen original structures along with several reconstructed buildings and stabilized ruins, including restored officers' quarters and barracks furnished to their historic period. The site houses tens of thousands of artifacts, an archive and research library, and hosts educational programs, guided tours, and annual living-history events that bring frontier military and civilian life to visitors year-round.