Celebrate National Mule Day at Ft. Concho Thursday

SAN ANGELO – Fort Concho will celebrate National Mule Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Living History Stable, 236 Henry O. Flipper St. The event is free.

Fort Concho National Historic Landmark encompasses most of the former army post established in 1867 and includes twenty-four original and restored fort structures. The old frontier army post is now a historic preservation project and museum which is owned and operated by the City of San Angelo, Texas.

There will be displays of late 19^th- and early 20^th-century military uniforms and equipment, when mules were still the preferred transport systems for wagon freight in the U.S. Army.

National Mule Day is a nod to Oct. 26, 1785, when a Spanish donkey requested by George Washington arrived in America to breed American mules. President Ronald Reagan signed the proclamation establishing the celebration date of Oct. 26 on the event’s 200th anniversary in 1985. Originating as a holiday in mid-1800s Tennessee, National Mule Day began as a single “Breeders Day” with a livestock show but over the years grew to include a parade and other celebrations.

For more information, call the fort at 325-481-2646 or visit fortconcho.com.