UNITED STATES — Saturday, Feb. 1, marked the first day of Black History Month, and the National Park Service (NPS) celebrates the Buffalo Soldiers who protected national parks across the western U.S.
According to the NPS, before its creation there were predominantly Black U.S. Army calvary regiments known as Buffalo Soldiers who served as the first rangers for the country’s new national parks.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, roughly 500 Buffalo Soldiers served at Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and General Grant (now Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks). The NPS confirms that Buffalo Soldiers performed a wide range of duties, ranging from protecting wildlife from poachers to building trails and roads.
During this time, Buffalo Soldiers also tested the effectiveness of bicycles as a mode of transportation for the army. In the late 1890s, the Fort Missoula Buffalo Soldier Bicycle Corps took a grueling journey on bicycles to Yellowstone National Park before making a 1,900-mile ride from Fort Missoula, Montana to Saint Louis, Missouri.
The NPS says they faced inadequate supplies and challenging terrain, as well as egregious racism and discrimination along their journey.
“Despite these challenges, however, they earned a reputation for serving courageously and helped establish a precedent for park management and stewardship that continues to this day,” the NPS wrote via their website.
Learn more about the Buffalo Soldiers by clicking here.
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