Fort Bowie National Historic Site

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fort Bowie National Historic Site
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Location	Cochise County, Arizona, USA
Nearest city	Willcox, Arizona
Coordinates	32°08′46″N 109°26′08″W / 32.14611, -109.43556
Area	999.45 acres (4.04 km²)
Established	July 29, 1972
Visitors	9,656 (in 2005)
Governing body	National Park Service

Fort Bowie National Historic Site
(U.S. National Historic Landmark)
Ruins of Fort Bowie
Nearest city:	Bowie, Arizona
Built/Founded:	1862
Designated as NHL:	December 19, 1960[1]
Added to NRHP:	July 29, 1972[2]
NRHP Reference#:	72000194

Fort Bowie National Historic Site is a United States National Historic Site located near Apache Pass in southeastern Arizona. The historic site was established in 1972 to commemorate the bitter conflict between the Chiricahua Apaches and the United States military and to preserve the ruins of Fort Bowie.

Contents 1 History 2 Fort Bowie today 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

Two engagements between the U.S. Military and the Chiricahua Apaches led to the construction of Fort Bowie in 1862. The first engagement, known as the Bascom Affair, took place in January 1861 when a band of Apaches raided the ranch of John Ward. Ward mistakenly believed that Cochise and the Chiricahua Apaches were responsible for the raid and demanded that the military take action against Cochise to recover property stolen during the raid. The next month, the army responded to Ward's request by sending Lt. George Bascom and 54 men to Apache Pass to confront Cochise. Bascom managed to capture Cochise and threatened to hold him hostage until Ward's property was returned but the Apache leader managed to escape. Sporadic fighting between Cochise's warriors and Army troops would continue for years to come.

The second major engagement was the Battle of Apache Pass, fought July 15 - July 16, 1862. A Union regiment under Brigadier General James Henry Carleton was ambushed by a band of Apaches while en route from California to New Mexico where they were to confront Confederate troops. This battle led to the eventual establishment of Fort Bowie in order to protect Apache Pass and an important source of water, Apache Spring. Construction on the first Fort Bowie began in 1862 but this resembled more of a temporary camp than a permanent military fort. In 1868, a second, more substantial Fort Bowie was built on a plateau about 300 yards to the southeast. For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to Florida and Alabama. The fort was abandoned in 1894.

[edit] Fort Bowie today

The Fort Bowie and Apache Pass site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.^[1],^[3],^[4]

The remains of Fort Bowie are carefully preserved, as are the adobe walls of various post buildings and the ruins of a Butterfield Stage Station. The site is located on the unpaved Apache Pass Road which can be accessed from Interstate 10 near Bowie, Arizona or from Arizona Highway 186 just north of the entrance to Chiricahua National Monument. Access to the ruins of Fort Bowie and the visitor center is via a 1.5 mile (2.4 kilometer) foot trail which begins at a parking area along Apache Pass Road.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• National Park Service: Fort Bowie National Historic Site
• American Southwest, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary

v • d • e U.S. National Register of Historic Places Keeper of the Register · History of the National Register of Historic Places · Property types · Historic district · Contributing property List of entries National Park Service · National Historic Landmarks · National Battlefields · National Historic Sites · National Historical Parks · National Memorials · National Monuments

v • d • e Protected Areas of Arizona National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park • Petrified Forest National Park • Saguaro National Park • Tumacácori National Historical Park • Fort Bowie National Historic Site • Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site • Coronado National Memorial • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area • Lake Mead National Recreation Area • Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail National Monuments National Park Service: Canyon de Chelly • Casa Grande Ruins • Chiricahua • Grand Canyon-Parashant • Hohokam Pima • Montezuma Castle • Navajo • Organ Pipe Cactus • Pipe Spring • Sunset Crater Volcano • Tonto • Tuzigoot • Walnut Canyon • Wupatki Bureau of Land Management: Agua Fria • Ironwood Forest • Sonoran Desert • Vermilion Cliffs State Parks Northern Region: Dead Horse Ranch • Fool Hollow Lake • Fort Verde • Homolovi Ruins • Jerome • Lyman Lake • Red Rock • Riordan Mansion • Slide Rock • Tonto Natural Bridge Southern Region: Boyce Thompson Arboretum • Catalina • Kartchner Caverns • Lost Dutchman • McFarland • Oracle • Patagonia Lake • Picacho Peak • Roper Lake • Sonoita Creek Natural Area • Tombstone Courthouse • Tubac Presidio Western Region: Alamo Lake • Buckskin Mountain • Cattail Cove • Lake Havasu • Yuma Crossing • Yuma Territorial Prison Municipal Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area • South Mountain Park • Papago Park Arizona State Parks (web)