Fort Verde State Historical Park
Introduction
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Images
This "0" Mile General Crook Trail Marker is located in the place where in 1871 General George Crook established a military supply trail which connected Forts Whipple, Verde and Apache.
Reconstructed Administrative building
Reconstructed Commanding Officers Quarters
Remains of Verde in 1931
Buffalo Soldiers at Camp Verde circa 1880s.
Geronimo in 1887
Gen. George Crook
Mid to late 1880s birds eye view of Verde and surrounding countryside at the time
Geronimo movie poster
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
From 1865 through 1891 Fort Verde was home to everyone from officers and enlisted persons to doctors and families. The fort was the center of operations for General Crook and the US Army scouts and Soldiers in the 1870s and 1880s. By far one of the best representation of the Indian wars in Arizona, several of the original buildings still stand and some are even used to this day. While visiting the historic houses it is important to remember that you are looking at what the house would actually be like in the 1880s as all houses are furnished with period furniture.
When the New Mexico territory was split up in 1863 the Territory of Arizona was created founding its capital in Prescott in 1864. The following year the Anglo settlers who would come to the land were demanding help from the US Military. The reason you may ask is because the Native Americans who were already settled in the land began to raid farms for crops and livestock and when the new settlers fought back things quickly escalated.
The current place that the fort sets was not its original location. The military occupation was actually a tent camp that overlooked the settlers farms at West Clear Creek. The tent camp was composed primarily volunteers who were relieved by US soldiers in September of 1866. Though the name Fort Verde is the name that is known today when the US Army took over and named the new location Camp Lincoln, it wasn't until 1868 that Verde made its first appearance in the name of the location.
Finally camp the time in 1879 when the temporary Camp Verde would receive its permanent name of Fort Verde. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on who you ask the raid ended shortly after the renaming and the camp was abandoned. In 1899 the fort was sold at public action and later turned into a Historic Landmark.
The famed 10th US Calvary, "Buffalo Soldiers" were stationed here during the campaigns against the Comanche and Apache and other local American Indian tribes hostile to the US Government.
Events surrounding Camp Verde, Gen. Crook, Geronimo, the Buffalo Soldiers and the Indians campaigns are featured in the 1993 film: Geronimo: An American Legend, staring Gene Hackman (Crook), Wes Studi (Geronimo), Jason Patric and Robert Duval.