When the Butterfield Stagecoach line began to carry mail and passengers from
Missouri to California in 1858, the company built a station near a spring at Apache
Pass. Although it was in the middle of Indian country, Cochise and his Chiricahua
Apache allowed the station and stage to operate unhindered. All this changed two
and a half years later when Cochise was falsely accused of kidnapping and theft.
Troops used treachery to seize Cochise, but the chief knifed through the tent he
was held in and escaped. Both sides executed hostages, and the war was on. Cochise
and his band tried to kill or drive all white people from the region. Unfortunately
for white settlers, many army troops left Arizona at this time to fight in the Civil
War in the east.
On July 15, 1862, Brig. Gen. James Carleton
and his California Column were on their way to meet the threat posed by the Confederate
invasion of New Mexico when Indians attacked an advanced detachment under the command
of Captain Thomas Roberts at Apache Pass. Roberts fended them off but suggested
to Carleton the need for a fort. The first Fort Bowie (BOO-ee) went up within a
month. Raids continued until 1872, when Cochise made peace with the army in exchange
for reservation land.
Troubles for the Chiricahua Apache began
two years later when Cochise died. Bad management by the Indian Bureau, the government's
taking back much of the reservation, and a fractured tribal leadership left many
Apache angry. In 1881, Apache warriors such as the wily Geronimo began leading a
new series of raids in the United States and Mexico. Army cavalry and scouts from
Fort Bowie and other posts then rode forth to fight the elusive Indians. Geronimo's
small band was the last to surrender, five years later, ending Arizona's Indian
wars. The army finally abandoned the fort on October 17, 1894.
Visiting the Fort
Only evocative ruins remain of what had once been
a major trade route and military post (520/847-2500,
www.nps.gov/fobo, trails are open sunrise
to sunset daily, visitor center is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily, free). To preserve
the historic setting, a hiking trail brings visitors to the fort. The three-mile
roundtrip is easy with an elevation gain of only 180 feet, but one should consider
the 5,000-foot elevation and the summer heat. Good walking shoes, a hat, and water
will add to the enjoyment of the trip. You could also bring a picnic and use tables
near the visitor center. Shaded benches along the trail allow for a rest or some
reflection. Signs tell of historic events in the area and identify sites such as
the stage-station ruin, the post cemetery, a ruin believed to have been the Chiricahua
Apache Indian Agency, the Battle of Apache Pass site, a reconstructed Apache camp,
and Apache Spring. You'll learn a lot of the area's history on the way, and you'll
enjoy the mountain views and a variety of wildflowers and other plants. Just before
the main fort, you can head up to ruins of the first Fort Bowie on a quarter-mile-roundtrip
side trail; this site proved too small and was replaced in 1868-69 by new buildings
on a more spacious site to the east. Signs identify the many ruins of the second
Fort Bowie, which operated for 26 years. An optional return trail from the visitor
center takes you to a ridgetop with a panorama of the fort and surrounding countryside
without adding extra distance. No camping is permitted. Dogs may come along if leashed.
The visitor center has many old photos that show how the fort appeared in its heyday.
Exhibits also display uniforms, a mountain howitzer, guns, Apache crafts, and excavated
artifacts. You can purchase books on the Apache, U.S. Army, and natural history.
The visitor center has a water fountain and restrooms. Call for handicapped access.
Modern highways bypass the area. From the town of Bowie (I-10 Exits 362 or 366),
drive 12.5 miles south on Apache Pass Road, of which the last 0.8 mile is gravel;
parking is on the right, trailhead on the left.
You can also
drive over Apache Pass on an unpaved section of Apache Pass Road from AZ 186. Head
southeast 22 miles from Willcox or northwest 14 miles from Chiricahua National Monument
to the turnoff between Mileposts 350 and 351 on AZ 186, then turn east 8 miles on
Apache Pass Road. In bad weather, Apache Pass Road can become slippery and is not
recommended.