West Texas Places

San Angelo

In the late 1800s the all-black regiments known respectfully by American Indians as the Buffalo Soldiers kept travelers and settlers in West Texas safe from attack by hostile Indian tribes. The protection they provided from Fort Concho was effective enough that a rowdy town sprang up on the opposite bank of the Concho River. In those days, the frontier town that would later become San Angelo was known for prostitution, gambling, and illicit revelry in general.

Immortalized in gunslinger ballads and given nods in Old West novels, the town has grown up. These days the fort has become a historic landmark and the town is home to a university, Angelo State, a beautiful fine arts museum, a bordello museum, and fun little shops along the Concho River. It also has some hidden gems, like the artists' commune known as the Chicken Farm and a colony of Mexican free-tail bats that fly in clouds from the Foster Road Bridge. It's also known for native sons Los Lonely Boys, who snagged a Grammy in 2005.

San Angelo at a Glance

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