Fort McDowell

Fort McDowell Ruins

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation (Behind the Recreation Center)

17661 E Yavapai Rd

Fort McDowell, AZ 85264

Fort McDowell Exhibit at the River of Time Museum

12901 N La Montana Dr

Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

Fort McDowell Exhibit at the Arizona Historical Society Museum at Papago Park 

1300 N College Ave

Tempe, AZ 85281 

Camp Verde was established on the Verde River in Arizona in 1865 by California Volunteer Soldiers. The camp was later designated as a fort in 1879. In 1879, the post was also renamed Fort McDowell, after the American Civil War General Irvin McDowell. The fort was established to protect settlers and travelers from Apaches who lived in the nearby Gila and Salt River Valleys. The fort was an embarkation point for many of the expeditions against the Apache, including General George Crook's Tonto Basin campaign in the early 1870's. The fort was abandoned in 1890. In 1891, the land was transferred to the Department of the Interior and became the Yavapai Indian Agency.

The history of the U.S. Army installation Fort McDowell can be seen in three locations in the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona. Ruins of the frontier post still exist on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, while two museums in the area have outstanding exhibits on the fort. If you plan on going to see the ruins I suggest you do sooner than later. I lived in Arizona from 2003-2014, and can safely state that these ruins have been steadily deteriorating over the years. The River of Time Museum in Fountain Hills has some outstanding artifacts on display, as well as photos and a model of the fort. The Arizona Historical Society provides visitors with firsthand accounts of Soldiers and civilians who lived on the fort.

Below are two links to sites that provide more information on the history of the fort. I also included several photos I took of the fort ruins and from the two museum exhibits on Fort McDowell:

http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_McDowell_(2)

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-fortmcdowell.html

MW

Fort McDowell Ruins

 River of Time Museum

Arizona Historical Society Museum 

P-Bar Ranch House Site

P-Bar Ranch House Site

16100 E Palisades Blvd.

Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

(Located in the Fountain Hills High School Parking Lot)

When I was in Fountain Hills, AZ this past weekend, I decided to stop by the site of the P-Bar Ranch. A monument was erected in the parking lot of the Fountain Hills High School to commemorate the former location of this ranch house. The P-Bar Ranch had a significant impact on the town of Fountain Hills as the town is now built on land which was once part of this ranch.

Below is a short write up on the P-Bar Ranch from the River of Time Museum website along with some photos I took this weekend. If you are ever in Fountain Hills, I highly recommend stopping by this museum for a great overview of the local history of the area. (http://www.riveroftimemuseum.org/)

 

"Fountain Hills and McDowell Mountain Park was once a 30,000+ acre cattle ranch. Homesteaded in the early 1900s by Henry Pemberton, the ranch passed to pioneers "Pink" Cole and son Bill, then to Lee and Delsie Barkdoll in 1935, and to Delsie and second husband Dick Robbins. During the Barkdoll/Robbins years (1935-1955), area cattlemen pastured and watered their stock on the P-Bar for about a dollar a month per head and one cent per pound gained. Fort McDowell Indians helped with the roundups." (http://www.riveroftimemuseum.org/PDF/museum_guide_signage.pdf)

MW