Early San Angelo

Soon after the Civil War, the city of San Angelo developed around Fort Concho. The mission of this western fort was to protect transportation routes, travelers, and settlers as they moved into territory claimed by Native Americans; and the mission of San Angelo was to make money by providing goods that the military personnel wanted and needed. After Fort Concho created peace in West Texas, it ceased operations. By 1889, however, San Angelo had plenty of dedicated citizens who would create an important western city on the banks of the Concho River. Agriculture was the basis of the economy in early San Angelo, which became a financial and marketing center for a wide region of West Texas. This book presents fascinating photographs that highlight the early history of a frontier town. The story ends in the late 1920s, when the discovery of oil changed the area dramatically.

Virginia Noelke has lived in San Angelo for 40 years, and her husband, Walter, was born there. She received her doctorate in American civilization at the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied the history of the American West with William H. Goetzmann. She taught history for 38 years at Angelo State University. The images in this book are taken primarily from the West Texas Collection of the Angelo State University Library and the archives at the Fort Concho National Historic Landmark.