Black troopers known as Buffalo Soldiers from Fort Stanton played a key role in the transition of New Mexico from a territory into a state. In recognition of the site’s significance to Black History, the National Park Service recently added the Fort Stanton Historic Site to its Reconstruction Era National Historic Network.
"In 1876 Buffalo Soldiers built the Fort Stanton Laundress Quarters which still stands at the site and is one of the few surviving structures directly associated with the Black troops. The fort and the structure are some of the most important Black History Sites in New Mexico." -
The 240-acre Fort Stanton New Mexico Historic Site is open Thursday through Monday 10:00 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults and free to children 16 and younger. New Mexico residents with a state ID are admitted free the first Sunday of every month. It’s located at 104 Kit Carson Road, Fort Station, NM: between Lincoln and Capitan.
"The site joins 107 listings across 28 states that highlight Black stories from the last half of the nineteenth century." -
The New Mexico Historic Sites system was established in 1931 by an Act for the Preservation of the Scientific Resources of New Mexico. The eight Historic Sites include Coronado, Fort Selden, Fort Stanton, Fort Sumner Historic Site/Bosque Redondo Memorial, Jemez, Lincoln, and Los Luceros.
Overall, the recognition of Fort Stanton's Buffalo Soldiers and their significant role in history serves as a powerful reminder of the diversity of contributions that helped shape the American West.