Fort Davis was established in 1854 in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas to guard the San Antonio-El Paso road, protecting emigrants, mail coaches, and freight wagons traveling through Comanche and Apache territory, and later served during the broader Indian Wars period until its closure in 1891. Cavalry and infantry companies garrisoned the post, and it is especially noted for housing African American Buffalo Soldier regiments from 1867 to 1885, who conducted patrols, escorted travelers, and helped map and secure the surrounding region. Everyday garrison life took place among a large complex of adobe and stone buildings that included enlisted barracks, officers' row, a post hospital, kitchens, stables, and a parade ground where troops drilled. Set in a scenic canyon of the Davis Mountains, the fort was regarded as one of the best examples of a frontier military post in the Southwest. Today it is administered by the National Park Service as Fort Davis National Historic Site and is considered one of the best-surviving frontier forts in the country, with numerous restored and refurnished buildings open to the public. Visitors can walk through officers' quarters, barracks, and support buildings, hike surrounding trails, and take part in ranger-led programs, exhibits, and living-history demonstrations that recreate the daily routines of soldiers, officers' families, and the Buffalo Soldiers who served there.