Fort Garland, Colorado

A Brief History of Fort Garland

Fort Garland takes its name from the Army post established in June 1858 to replace nearby Fort Massachusetts in the San Luis Valley. Named for Colonel John Garland, the adobe post became a base for military operations amid expanding settlement on Indigenous lands. Black soldiers of the Ninth Cavalry, known as Buffalo Soldiers, served here from 1876 to 1879. The Army abandoned the post in 1883. Surviving buildings later became a museum, preserving evidence of military life and the intertwined histories of Indigenous peoples, Hispanic communities and settlers. The present-day Costilla County community is unincorporated; the historic fort is a distinct museum site.