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Fort Craig Virtual Reconstruction Project

From the Army's Indian Campaign, to the presence of the Buffalo Soldiers, to today's veterans, Fort Craig's importance to New Mexico's entanglement in the Civil War is an important story to tell. With the help the of historians, archaeologists and modern technology, PLIA and the Bureau of Land Management are partnering to bring this important historic site to life.

View of the ruined stone walls of the Fort Craig Historic Site in black and white.

PLIA's program staff are diving deep into the history of Fort Craig, creating an interactive exhibit that will detail the fort's construction and use, role in the Civil War Battle of Valverde, and its archaeological resources in the present.

Fort Craig was an important military outpost before, during, and after the Civil War. In the 50-year span it was occupied, the fort served as the home-base for various campaigns during the Indian Wars, the 125th Infantry during the Civil War, and at one point, the famous Buffalo Soldiers. Through this program, we aim reconstruct Fort Craig digitally and give visitors another way to bring these ruins to life and discover their rich past through a multimedia experience.

A visitor to Fort Craig reads an interpretive panel along the trail.

We hope you'll come visit our store at the Fort Craig Visitor Center! We are proud to announce we've just completed a brand-new interactive kiosk, covering the history of this site of one of New Mexico's most important contributions to the Civil War.

Learn more about Fort Craig here

Visit PLIA at the Fort Craig Visitor Center

The Public Lands Interpretive Association is seeking individuals and families that have a connection to communities of people, which include the Warm Springs Band of Apache, the New Mexico Volunteers, the Colorado Volunteers, Buffalo Soldiers, and descendants from local settlers near the Socorro area. Our organization is interested in collecting audio, photographs, diary entries, and interviews from individuals. It is our goal to represent the many different perspectives that make up this unique time in history. With this project, we hope to further enhance the Fort Craig experience. Any information gathered will be added to our documentary series, currently being displayed in a new interpretive display kiosk at the Fort Craig Visitor Center.

For more information, please reach out by May 25, 2024, to Camisha Cordova at ccordova@plia.org. We look forward to hearing from you.