Two San Angelo Authors to Sign Books During Christmas at Old Fort Concho

A pair of local authors will be signing copies of their books during Christmas at Old Fort Concho on Saturday, Dec. 5.

Dr. Arnoldo De Leon will sign his book “San Angeleños: Mexican Americans in San Angelo” from 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. in the fort’s Visitor Center in Barracks 1. Linda Hermes, author of the “Hoot and Holler” series about a pair of mischievous mules at Fort Concho, will sign her books from 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. at Barracks 1.

A celebrated historian and author of numerous works about Mexican-Americans, Dr. De Leon first came to San Angelo in 1965, when he served as an airman at Goodfellow Air Force Base. After earning his bachelor’s degree in history from Angelo State University, De Leon went on to earn master’s and doctorate degrees from Texas Christian University. He returned to San Angelo in 1973 to join the ASU history department, where he served as a faculty member until the summer of 2015.

Dr. De Leon has deep roots in San Angelo and a vast knowledge of the region. “San Angeleños: Mexican Americans in San Angelo” celebrates the culture of local Mexican-Americans and the changes that have taken place within their community.

A long-time fort volunteer in Fort Concho’s living history program and special events, Hermes has written and illustrated three books that chronicle the adventures of two fort mules, Hoot and Holler, whose curiosity and spirit of adventure lead them into many interesting situations.

The “Hoot and Holler” series is aimed at young grade-school children. Three more books are planned in 2016. Hermes’ stories have been inspired by her experiences at Fort Concho and the site’s rich heritage of frontier service in the 1870s and 1880s.

Christmas at Old Fort Concho will be from Friday, Dec. 4, through Sunday, Dec. 6. For a full schedule of events, visit fortconcho.com. For more information, call Fort Concho at 325-657-4444.