Fort Bowie
Fort Bowie (1862-1894) - Established 28 Jul 1862 by Maj. Theodore A. Coult, 5th U.S. Infantry, and named for Col. George W. Bowie, California Volunteer Infantry. Abandoned 17 Oct 1892 and transfered to the Interior Department 14 Nov 1894. Also known as Camp Bowie.
Fort Bowie History
Established during the U.S. Civil War to protect travel along the Tucson-Mesilla road, to protect the Apache Springs and to keep Confederate troops out of the region.
The post was built of adobe and stone with 412 feet of stone walls. In 1868 the post was moved from it's original site to a nearby hill.
Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of a bitter 30 year conflict between the U.S. Military and the Chiricahua Apache Indians that ended with the surrender of Chief Geronimo in 1886. The surrendered Chiricahua Apache Indians were moved to reservations in Florida and Alabama.
The post was abandoned 17 Oct 1894, transferred to the Interior Department 14 Nov 1894 and auctioned off to the public about two years later. The post buildings were sold 20 Jun 1911 and only the stone walls remained.
Current Status
Ruins taken over by the National Park Service in 1964 and stabilized.
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Location: 20 miles East of Wilcox, Arizona, on Hwy 186 to the Bowie turn off and 8 miles on unpaved road to the Fort Bowie trailhead. Three mile, round trip, hike to the fort ruins. Maps & Images Lat: 32.1443 Long: -109.4362 |
Sources:
- Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 34-35
- Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 11
- Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 4
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