Cochise County's Historical Gems: Forts And Ancient Sites

Cochise County has been a place people call home for centuries. It holds stories that stretch from ancient mammoth hunters to frontier soldiers, each site offering a different doorway into the region's rich past. Here are 3 historical sites in Cochise County you have to check out!

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blue red and yellow flag — Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

Fort Bowie

Fort Bowie was established in 1862 and served as an important military base for 25 years. According to the National Park Service, Fort Bowie was very important during the Apache wars, when Chiricahua Apache were defending their ancestral land against U.S. soldiers during the western expansion.

READ: Exploring The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area

Murray Springs Clovis Site

In 1966 archaeologists C. Vance Haynes Jr. and Peter Mehringer Jr. were extending research regarding the Lehner Mammoth Kill Site when they spotted mammoth bones protruding from the ground nearby the San Pedro River. They knew immediately they had found a Clovis hunter sight. According to the Bureau of Land Management, this sight is one of the most important ancient sites in North America.

Read about the Lehner Clovis Site: How The Lehner Mammoth Site Connects Us To Ancient Hunters

Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate

Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate is located along the San Pedro River west of Tombstone, Arizona. It was built in 1766 by Irish mercenary Hugh O’Cono, who was working for King Charles III of Spain. This historic structure marks Spain's attempt to secure the frontier in the 1700's. The site was abandoned by 1780 and was briefly occupied by the U.S Army about a century later.

San Pedro River. / Photo by Val Davidson/TSM. / Elements by Canva

Cochise County is full of historical sites and remnants of past people. All of these historical sites are open to the public. Whether you are tracing the footsteps of ancient clovis hunters or standing among the remnants of structures used by frontier soldiers, you can learn so much about what was based on what is left.

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