Apache Pass - Fort Bowie

Fort Bowie

The treaty between Cochise and General Howard provided for a reservation to be set aside at Apache Pass, adjacent to Fort Bowie. The Army post was constructed there after the Battle of Apache Pass in 1862 to protect the spring; at first, a rudimentary post was constructed near the spring, then later, a more permanent post was constructed a little higher on nearby table-land. Ultimately, Fort Bowie became the headquarters for the fight against the Chiricahua Apaches. The Chiricahua reservation lasted about 4 years, but after Cochise’s death in 1874 and the dearth of leadership that followed, tensions (and possibly depredations) increased and the Chiricahuas were moved to San Carlos and consolidated there under Agent John Clum, so they could be better managed.

Apache Pass continued to play a major role in frontier American history until after the final surrender of Geronimo and his band of renegades in September, 1886. Then, in the early 1890s with the close of the Apache wars, the fort there was decommissioned and abandoned. Travelers now bypassed the area on the railroad, built a few miles to the north. The only thing left behind at Apache Pass after the local ranchers scavenged the ruins for building materials were a few adobe walls, bleaching white in the sun and slowly washing away in the infrequent rains, and the memories of those who had lived through their experiences there.

Apache Pass is now located within the Fort Bowie National Historic Site and along with the surrounding peaks, stands like a mute guard over its unique history. The few remaining building walls in the area have been “stabilized” for preservation purposes, but will not be restored. The area is managed and interpreted by National Park Service rangers. Visitors who hike along the trails and drive along Apache Pass Road can see the remains of the Butterfield station (consisting of the stone foundation), the ruins of the Chiricahua Reservation’s agency building, a cemetery and the remnants of the two forts that were constructed there. The route of the stage trail can still be seen, as well as the sites near the top of the pass where Lt. Bascom executed his Apache hostages, and Cochise's followers burned his. The spring still flows, although it has become a mere trickle. Today's calm and quiet there belies the bustle and excitement that was characteristic of the spot more than 125 years ago.