Dr. Arnoldo De León Department of History at Angelo State University

06/20/2026

Emancipation Day celebration in Austin on June 19, 1900. What a great slice of Texas history.

06/19/2026

Great crowd for lecture on how Americans in Texas and beyond celebrated our nation’s Centennial in 1876. He kept the audience enraptured and fit to be (bow) tied. And thanks to several current and retired faculty who came out to hear him. And of course thanks to our partners at for collaborating on a great lecture series.

06/16/2026

Thus Thursday is our last USA at 250 lecture, and it promises to be a good one with our own Dr Powers. Come check it out.

Angelo State University and Historic Fort Concho will present the sixth and final installment of the public speaker series, U.S.A. 250th & Texas: The Concho Valley Commemorates U.S. Independence, on Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m. in the Fort Concho Commissary, 704 Burgess St.

Dr. Michael Shane Powers, an ASU assistant professor of history, will deliver a special presentation titled “Patriotism in the Past: How Americans Celebrated U.S. Independence from Fort Concho to Philadelphia.”

The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served.

Powers’ presentation will explore the ways Americans have celebrated the nation’s independence, particularly during the centennial of 1876 and bicentennial of 1976, as a way to more fully understand how Americans applied Revolutionary War-era ideals to their own time.

Specifically, Powers will examine how the country’s centennial in 1876 overlapped with Fort Concho’s role as a prominent Western fort during the so-called Indian Wars – as well as the Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, where Americans celebrated U.S. independence while being introduced to the latest modern technologies and goods. Finally, he will highlight West Texas commemorations in 1976 in the midst of developments that have shaped Texas to the present day.

06/09/2026

Join us for the last speaker of the USA 250th & Texas series!

Thursday, June 18, Dr. Powers of Dr. Arnoldo De León Department of History at Angelo State University will be giving a talk on Patriotism in the Past: How Americans Celebrated U.S. Independence from Fort Concho to Philadelphia

Y'all don't want to miss this!
This is free and open to all!
Fort Concho Commissary
704 Burgess St.

05/19/2026

An update from Dr McMillan and students in Germany.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYiGtZwkdtB/?igsh=Nzl1cTR0MGN5dTNn

05/17/2026

Graduation 2026 is in the books. Congrats to all of our graduates. We’re excited to continue to watch your journey.

05/07/2026

Tonight!!!
Check out our very own curator of Fort Concho, Cory at ASU!
This will be held at the UC on Rosemont Dr.
You don’t want to miss this talk!
And it’s free and open to the public!

05/04/2026

https://www.instagram.com/p/DX7RSZkkWmT/?igsh=bHRyNGF3ZXB0aHRo

04/24/2026

Another bumper crop of Phi Alpha Theta inductees. Dr McMillan did a fantastic job and Shannon Sturm from the West Texas Collection gave a heartfelt talk on the importance of studying and preserving history. A great time was had by all.

04/22/2026

Look what arrived on Earth Day: Kenna Lang Archer and Jason Pierce’s latest book, an edited collection on the environmental history of Texas. Available from fine retailers now!