Tactical Operations Center

Fort Bowie is a definite stop when visiting Arizona. It is a virtual time capsule; a microcosm of life in the 19th Century. It has the unusual combination of civilian, native American and military sites that helps us understand the clash of civilizations during the American expansion. As with any clash, the primary casus belli was over resources: In this case, that resource was water. Apache Springs, below, was the only source of water in the Apache Pass area, where travelers on the Butterfield Stagecoach line would draw it for themselves and for the horses.

After the Battle of Apache Pass, the US Army established two Fort Bowies to protect the pass, guard the water, keep an eye on hostile natives and ensure that travelers on the stagecoach line made it through the area. The second Fort was built in 1868 and finally abandoned in 1894.