Courtesy of the National Afro American Museum & Cultural Center

Adventure, respect, dignity. These are just three of the reasons that thousands of African American men enlisted in the US Army shortly after the Civil War. They sought out this opportunity, which opened to them in 1866 when Congress passed legislation giving African Americans the right to serve in the Regular Army. These men who would become known as the Buffalo Soldiers went on to establish a legacy that continues to inspire countless Americans to this day. At Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce, Ohio, the iconic stories of these intrepid men are forever protected so that their legacy and stories will be retold for countless generations to come.

While the Buffalo Soldiers' legacy began on the vast Western frontier during the “Indian Wars,” the home to the National Park Service’s Buffalo Soldiers’ story stands on a small parcel of land in west-central Ohio. Although it may seem insignificant at first, upon closer examination, this relatively small site bursts at the seams with African American history. A grand, two-story home is the main feature of the 60+ acre site. Known as Youngsholm, it was once home to arguably one of the most important and influential Buffalo Soldiers in history, Charles Young.