Celebrating 150 years of Buffalo Soldier history with Texas Parks and Wildlife, soldier re-enacters and Bastrop and Buescher state parks are hosting events Saturday to commemorate the soldiers’ service and share a bit of history.

In 1896, the 25th Infantry of the Buffalo Soldiers, known as Iron Riders, held a "great experiment" to ride their single speed bikes over wild country 1,900 miles from Fort Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri, according to TPWS Ranger Kristen Williams.

"Their successful ride is why we are having the event in the park on December 17th," Williams said. "One hundred and fifty years after their ride, we honor their memory by recreating a much shorter bike ride between Bastrop and Buescher State Parks and ending the journey with festivities at a historic encampment."

The guided bike ride will begin at 10 a.m. at the Bastrop State Park Refectory, running down the 11-mile Park Road 1C to Buescher State Park, with rest stops every two miles. Personal bikes are welcome but people may reserve a bike from the park service by visiting https://survey.tpwd.state.tx.us/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=94413n4.

At Buescher State Park, the camp activities begin at 10 a.m. in the Lakeview camping area, ending at 5 p.m. People can learn more about the Buffalo Soldier’s campsite living with large canvas tents and a chuck wagon cook displayed. Participants will learn about animal tracking and how to create a stamp journal, play frontier baseball, enjoy cane fishing and learn how to map the frontier using a compass. There will also be a frontier photo booth.

Attendees can learn the 10 essentials needed on the trail, along with hearing Buffalo Soldier history, and stories about Hispanic scouts and Native American stories.

"An event of this size has never been done before in the history of Bastrop or Buescher State Park," Williams said. "Come be a part of our shared story."

Buffalo Soldiers were African Americans, both slaves and freedmen, who fought in the Army during the Spanish-American War and both World Wars and later in special segregated regiments in peace to protect the frontier. In 1867, the Ninth Calvary came to Texas, and built roads, telegraph lines and forts. Cavalrymen worked as the first park rangers in the national parks, and pioneered the use of mountain biking instead of horses in the military.

All Buffalo Soldier activities are free Saturday with regular park admission.