Fort Lowell

Fort Lowell was the army's instrument in the long war against the Apache. Established near downtown in 1862 and moved to this spot on the Rillito in 1873, it served as a supply depot and base for the campaigns that drove the Chiricahua and Western Apache from their homelands. At its peak more than 250 soldiers were posted here. Its usefulness ended with Geronimo's surrender in 1886, and the army closed the fort in 1891 despite local protest. The adobe ruins still stand among the cottonwoods.

What the plaque says

The military post, established in 1862 near downtown Tucson, was moved to this location in 1873. One of many active forts on the Arizona frontier, Lowell served also as a major supply depot, influencing the economy and social life of the community. At its peak in the 1880's, three companies of infantry and two troops of cavalry, more than 250 officers and soldiers, were stationed here. The need for Fort Lowell steadily declined after Geronimo's surrender in 1886 and, despite local protest, it was closed by the army in 1891.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Tucson — 6.5 mi
  The Old Pueblo — four thousand years of farming under the sky islands
• Mission San Xavier del Bac — 13 mi
  The White Dove of the Desert — the finest Spanish Baroque church in the country
• Saguaro National Park — 16 mi
  The giant cactus, and the O'odham who count it as kin

More markers nearby

• Cavalry Barracks and Band Barracks — steps away
• Chapel of San Pedro at Fort Lowell — 0.4 mi
• Airmen Memorial Bridge — 2.3 mi
• El Conquistador Water Tower — 3.8 mi