Fort Lowell — Tucson Arizona
Protecting Tucsonans continued...

With the end of the Civil War in 1865, the Federal Government could once again concentrate on the Apache Wars. The camp that had been used by the California Volunteers was repositioned and improved, and in 1866 it officially became known as Camp Lowell. The camp was named after General Charles Russell Lowell, Jr., 6 th US Cavalry, who was killed during the Civil War. By 1869, it was supporting the supply functions of the downtown Tucson Depot, and conducting organized military campaigns against the Apache.

In 1871 General Stoneman, the commander of the Arizona Territory who considered it his charge to simply establish supply depots across the Arizona Territory, told a group of citizens from Tucson that they would have to resolve their own problems with the Apaches. The citizenry formed a vigilante group of 128 Arizonans, and in the early hours of April 30, 1871 at Camp Grant, the vigilantes massacred eight men and 110 women and children. These were Apaches who were utterly defenseless, and had already surrendered to the U.S. Government. In addition, twenty-eight Apache papoose were kidnapped for sale in the child slave trade begun decades before by the Mexicans. A scandal ensued that reached Washington, and General Stoneman was replaced by General George Crook, who was eventually successful in subduing the Apaches. In 1871, 104 members of the posse that attacked Camp Grant were indicted and brought to trial in Tucson. After only nineteen minutes of deliberation, the jury found all 104 members of the vigilante group "not guilty."

Tucson in those days was filled with rough and colorful characters, miners, seekers of fortune, prostitutes, and camp followers. By 1872 it became apparent to the Army that the location of the post so near the city was a poor choice, the area had turned into one “unfit for animals, much less the troops of a civilized nation.” The army, wanting to keep order and discipline among the men, and illness away from them, eventually moved the post seven miles northeast of the city to the bank of the Rillito stream. This established the new Camp Lowell in March of 1873. From the beginning, problems ensued. Lack of funds and frequent bad weather delayed completion of the buildings until 1875.

Among the men stationed at Camp Lowell was the physician Walter Reed. He spent his first assignment there arriving in 1876. He was the camp’s only physician, and also served as the family doctor to the local population. He became known as the “Indian Doctor” for his treatment of the Native Americans in the territory. Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland was later named after him.

The troops stationed at Camp Lowell were charged with escorting wagon trains, guarding supplies, protecting settlers, patrolling the border, and planning and carrying out offensive operations against the Apaches.

The average troop strength at Camp Lowell was 150 officers and men. In 1879 Camp Lowell was designated Fort Lowell, implying its permanent status. When the war with the Apaches reached its zenith in late 1886, four companies of the 4 th Cavalry and the 8 th Infantry were quartered there. This was the only time the fort was operating at full capacity: 18 officers and 239 enlisted men. The troops participated in the Geronimo Campaigns and the Fort served as a major supply depot.

Tucson became the territorial capital in 1867. More people and civic progress ensued. The first train appeared in 1880. Initially the fort was constructed in a Mexican Sonoran style with thick adobe walls, heavy pine logs, and saguaro ribs supporting hard packed dirt roofs. Wide hallways were incorporated into the construction for ventilation and cooling in the hot desert air. By the middle of the decade, some eastern architectural building features started to appear on the fort. Porches, shutters, and tin roofs were added to the southwestern designs to create a new style. Fort Lowell gained a reputation in the military as a prestigious place to be stationed, and was eventually designated as the regimental headquarters of the Sixth U.S. Cavalry. The troops stationed there became an integral part of the social life of the now growing city, participating in dinners, dances, concerts, picnics, and baseball games. They even built a roller skating rink over one of the buildings in Tucson. Their numbers and regular government paychecks also contributed greatly to keeping the Tucson area gambling halls and saloons in operation.

The End of An Era
The Beginning of a Neighborhood

The Apache Wars ended in 1886. Fort Lowell, no longer really necessary, was abandoned as a military post in 1891. The troops were sent to New Mexico and to the northern plains to pursue and engage the Sioux Nation tribes. The town of Tucson eventually swelled to encompass the old fort. The area was settled first by the Mexican people of Tucson who called it El Fuerte. In the 1920s, Anglo families began to move to the area. One of the well preserved officer’s quarters was used as a sanitarium for many years. As more and more Anglo families settled in that area, the Mexican families moved elsewhere and El Fuerte once again became Fort Lowell. Today the Fort Lowell area is a thriving commercial and residential area. A rebuilt Commanding Officer’s Quarters is now maintained as a museum by the Arizona Historical Society.

For some additional information visit: http://oflna.org/fort_lowell_museum/ftlowell.htm.

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END NOTES

Charles Russell Lowell, Jr. (1835-1864). Back to article

General George Crook was Born near Dayton, Ohio, September 8, 1830, he graduated from West Point in 1852. Back to article

Walter Reed: 1851 – 1902, American physician and army surgeon who, along with C. J. Finlay, proved that yellow fever was transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Back to article