Nationwide — “I am the only living survivor of the original regiment, the 10th U.S. Cavalry, who marched away toward the Rio Grande, 1,225 strong in 1867.”
Some men witness history. Others become the last living link to it. Major George W. Ford belonged to the latter. Speaking during an interview about his service with the Buffalo Soldiers, Ford identified himself as the sole surviving member of the original 10th U.S. Cavalry, a living record of a generation that had nearly vanished from memory.
In observance of Black History Month, the Temecula Valley Museum will open the Major George W. Ford Traveling Exhibit on February 13, 2026. The eight-week exhibition honors the life and legacy of the renowned soldier while also recognizing the broader history and service of the Buffalo Soldiers. The exhibition arrives at a moment when institutions nationwide are reexamining how African American history is told and who is entrusted to tell it.
When Major Ford died in 1939 at the age of ninety-one, he stood at the end of an era that spanned enslavement, military service, and civic leadership. His life bridged exclusion and citizenship, silence and public memory. Beyond his distinguished military career, Ford was a civil rights advocate and later served as superintendent for six of the nation’s National Cemeteries. He also maintained personal relationships with leading thinkers and public figures of his time, including W.E.B. Du Bois and President Theodore Roosevelt.
The exhibition brings Ford’s story into public view through artifacts, correspondence, photographs, and family-preserved materials that trace his journey from soldier to civic leader. It also honors the Buffalo Soldiers whose service played a critical role in shaping military and social history in the United States. Drawing from family-held materials and personal records, the exhibition presents aspects of Ford’s life that have not previously been available to the public.
In addition, the exhibit examines the shared and often difficult history between the Buffalo Soldiers and the Native American tribes they encountered during westward expansion. By presenting these histories together, the exhibition acknowledges the realities of those encounters and encourages deeper understanding of a turbulent period that affected multiple communities.
Author, historian, and national speaker Linda Allen Hollis, a direct descendant of Major Ford, will speak at the opening program. Her remarks will explore Ford’s life as both historical record and family legacy, while also addressing the bridging of histories between Native American tribes and the Buffalo Soldiers, and how acknowledging these shared stories can foster greater understanding and dialogue today. Hollis is the author of I Cannot Tell a Lie: The True Story of George Washington’s African American Descendants and is known for her work in descendant-led historical research and public interpretation of African American history.
Working on the collection allowed Hollis to feel closer to a grandfather she never met but had always admired, transforming inherited memory into public history.
“For generations, Major Ford’s story was carried within our family because it mattered,” Hollis said. “This exhibit brings that history into the public record, not to simplify the past, but to tell it honestly. When we hold these histories together, we gain a fuller understanding of who we are and how we arrived here.”
The Major George W. Ford Exhibit is curated by the West Ford Legacy Foundation, whose mission is to preserve and share the legacy of West Ford and his descendants through research, exhibitions, and public education that center descendant voices and historical truth.
The exhibition will be on view from February 13 through April 2026 at the Temecula Valley Museum.
For additional information on reserving the exhibit or media inquiries, contact the West Ford Legacy Foundation at info@westfordlegacy.com or 951-551-0783.