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A visit to the Fort Bowie National Historic Site in southeastern Arizona requires some effort. It’s a long drive to Cochise County, the last mile on a dirt road, and then a 1.5 mile hike just to get to the remains of the fort. However, it will be a day you won’t soon forget.
Sitting on Apache Pass that separates the Chiricahua Mountains from the Dos Cabezas Mountains, Fort Bowie served as a military post on the Arizona border. He feels as lonely today as he did in the 19th century. And just as calm. There’s nothing left but bones. Stone walls, paths and adobe slabs, like the fins of ancient creatures, rise above the tall grass.
In the late 1800s, Fort Bowie was the main starting point of the US Army’s conflict with the Chiricahua Apaches, led by Cochise and Geronimo. Much of Arizona’s history was shaped in this isolated outpost. It is another case of clashes between an emerging nation and a proud, independent people trying to preserve their land and way of life.
It’s not hard to understand why it came to a head in this out-of-the-way spot. In Arizona, the answer to almost any question is water.
Why was Fort Bowie built at Apache Pass?
Beneath a leafy canopy, a thin thread spills down a rock face and flows across the sand. The little gurgle is almost inaudible amid the shade of the willows, walnuts, and velvety ash trees, but don’t be fooled. In this arid land, the splash of water resounds across the landscape like thunder.
Or like cannon fire.
Apache Spring has quenched the thirst for history in southeastern Arizona while creating a crossroads of violent conflict. Spring water falls down a narrow ravine at Apache Pass. This narrow cleft rises to an elevation of over 5,000 feet and is surrounded by prominent peaks like Bowie Mountain and Helen’s Dome. Desert grasses mixed with shrubby chaparral dominate the lower slopes of Apache Pass with forests of oak, juniper, and pine nuts spreading across the higher ground.
For hundreds of years, the area was home to the Chiricahua Apaches. Offering the only source of water for miles around, as well as firewood and grass, Apache Pass also became a prominent landmark for travelers. Spanish explorers and later Mexican settlers used Apache Pass, and it was an important stop along an emigrant trail for those heading to the California gold fields.
In 1858, the Butterfield Overland Mail Company began stagecoach service between St. Louis and San Francisco, a route that used Apache Pass. A station was built at the pass to take advantage of the precious spring water.
During this time there were isolated cases of violence between the Apaches and the settlers. The pass and the surrounding area did not become part of the United States until the Gadsden Purchase in 1854. For a time, Cochise and the Chiricahua Apaches made a tenuous peace with the newcomers. They allowed the stage line to run largely unhindered for over two years.
Then everything changed in the winter of 1861.
What is Fort Bowie famous for? Cochise, Mickey Free and the Bascom case
Lieutenant George Bascom may have only been following orders, but due to his uncompromising, heavy-handed approach, he earned the distinction of having his name forever linked to the event that sparked America’s longest war. It is known simply as the Bascom Affair.
In January 1861, Felix Martinez Ward was kidnapped during an Apache raid on his family’s ranch. In February, a young, inexperienced Bascom led a 54-man detachment into Apache Pass with orders to recapture Ward and all stolen cattle.
The lieutenant invited Cochise to a meeting, which quickly turned sour when Bascom accused him of kidnapping and robbery. Despite Cochise’s claims of innocence and offers to help find the boy, Bascom attempted to arrest him. Using a knife, Cochise sliced through the back of the tent and escaped. The other Chiricahua Apaches, including members of Cochise’s family, were captured. The soldiers took refuge in the stone-walled Butterfield station.
In the days and weeks that followed, Cochise took captives and attempted to trade them for his family and warriors. When his effort failed, he killed the hostages. The Army retaliated by executing the warriors in his custody. The incident sparked open warfare between the whites and the Chiricahua Apaches that raged for the next quarter century.
In fact, Felix Ward had been kidnapped by Apaches, but not by Cochise’s gang. He was traded to the White Mountain Apaches and raised with his sons to become a warrior. As an adult, he became a scout and interpreter for the US Army and changed his name to Mickey Free.
Things to see and do in Fort Bowie
The first incarnation of Fort Bowie was built in the summer of 1862, something of a crude temporary camp. A more substantial fort was built on a plateau 300 yards to the southeast in 1868. These are the remains that remain today. A short path leads to the site of the original fort.
Fort Bowie National Historic Site is a walk-in park, the only one in Arizona. Visitors must walk 1.5 miles to enter. This helps protect natural and historic resources. It also sets the mood, allowing the feeling of loneliness and isolation of the frontier to seep into your consciousness. Along the way, each chapter of the story unfolds.
As it winds through the foothills, the trail passes the ruins of Butterfield Stage Station, a recreated Apache wikiup, the headstone-filled post office cemetery, the original fort, and Apache Spring, which still produces a reliable supply of water.
Along the way, detailed signs provide information and locations of major incidents such as the Bascom Affair and the Battle of Apache Pass, a savage fight between Cochise and 150 warriors and a vanguard of the California Column. Nothing is abstract anymore. Everything is fine here. This is the ground where they were, where they fought and died.
As soon as you emerge from the forest surrounding the spring, you get your first glimpse of what’s left of Fort Bowie, spread out across the mesas and surrounded by soaring foothills.
Paths meander between the buildings, each identified by plaques indicating its original use. Additional signage and historical photos help bring the setting to life. There’s even a photo of Geronimo and his gang after he surrendered in 1886. They were taken to the fort before being exiled to Florida and Alabama, thus ending the Apache Wars. Fort Bowie was abandoned in 1894.
The visitor center and its rocking-chair-lined wraparound terrace perches on the hillside with picnic tables out front, a great place for lunch. The building is filled with exhibits and artifacts that add more layers to the story. There is also a small shop full of books and souvenirs.
When it’s time to leave, you can walk back the way you came in. Another option is to take the trail behind the visitor center, which climbs up a limestone hill known as Overlook Ridge with fine views of the fort and valleys below.
This route doesn’t add any distance, but offers more exercise than your initial walk. But it’s worth any huffing and puffing with great panoramas. It crosses the ridge, past some informational signs and a couple of benches before descending and rejoining the entrance trail near Butterfield Station, a half mile from the Apache Pass Road trailhead.
How to Visit Fort Bowie National Historic Site
When: From sunrise to sunset every day. The visitor center is open from 8:30 am to 4 pm daily; closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Where: Southeast of Willcox in southern Arizona. From Phoenix, take Interstate 10 East past Tucson to Bowie (exit 362). Continue east on the I-10 Business Loop and turn right onto Apache Pass Road. Continue 12 miles to the trailhead parking lot. The last mile of the road is not paved, but it is usually manageable in a passenger vehicle. Be prepared to walk 3 miles on a dirt trail to and from the fort and back. Access for visitors with reduced mobility can be obtained by calling the park.
Admission: Free.
Details: 520-847-2500, www.nps.gov/fobo.
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Translation Nadia Cantu