Fort Apache May 16

Sunday, May 16, 2021 Day 12

After breakfast in the condo I went swimming. The pool and hot tub area were empty. The water temperature was fine and the air temperature in the morning was crisp. 

In the mid morning I set out for the Fort Apache Historic Park which is located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation which is the home to the White Mountain Apache Tribe. I traveled south on route 260 and shortly thereafter entered the reservation. After about 3 miles I came to a fork. The Hon-Dah Hotel and Casino was located there. It is owned by the Indian Tribes and although the weather was mild and sunny on a Sunday morning, there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. The church of gambling. 

I turned southwest on route 73 continuing into the reservation. The land was dry, rocky and had lots of pine trees. The buildings, mostly small groups of residences, appeared to be old, small and run down. There were pockets of abandoned vehicles. Lots of trailer homes. After about 15 miles I came to Whiteriver, the reservation capital. It had several government buildings and a few commercial establishments. I saw very few people.

Another 5 miles down the road and passing through China Town (just a collection of trailer homes) I made a left turn on to Ft. Apache Rd. (away from the town of Ft. Apache) to go a brief distance to the Ft. Apache Historical Park.

The Park is located on the site of the former Fort Apache and is now on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. I initially went to the White Mountain Apache Cultural Center and Museum. It was closed, but a car was aprked there so I knocked on the door and avery old Indian finally opened the door. He said the place was closed due to the covid. I told him I had been double vaccinated, that I had traveled a long way and could he just let me in. He finally agreed and gave me a long tour of the small facility, with a long talk about the history of the site. It is called Nohwike Bagowa, House of our Footprints.

The Fort was established in 1870 as a temporary military camp and 10 years later it became a permanent facility. Initially its purpose was to support the army in its Indian Wars in the late 19th century, primarily against the Apaches. These included Victorio's War and the Ghost DanceWar. The Buffalo Soldiers served in these from the fort. That role culminated in the Battle of Fort Apache in 1881 after which the Apaches under Geronimo fled to northern Mexico. His surrender in 1886 largely ended the Apache wars. Subsequently the Apaches served as scouts in wars against the other tribes.

Entering the 20th century things calmed down in the southwest and in 1923 as the fort's use as a military facility was no longer needed, it was turned over to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Bureau established the Theodore Roosevelt boarding school for Indian children. However the Bureau educated Navajo children in the school even though it was located on an Apache reservation in an effort to instill Anglo customs in the students. My "guide" said this practice was hated by the tribes. The Apache tribe still uses the building as a school for its children.

Theer was a 1948 Fort Apache movie directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple,  and a 1981 movie titled Fort Apache about the devistation in the south Bronx.

There are many remaining structures that surround a rectangular parade grounds. I was able to walk around the grounds by myself. I encountered no one else until the end of my visit when a maintenance man appeared in his truck. 

The school

The commanders house

Leaving the fort and retracing my route back through Whiteriver, at the casino (more cars in the parking lot) I took a right continuing on route 260 and drove down to the Sunrise Ski resort. It bills itself as Arizona's biggest, and premier ski resort. It was closed, preparing for a late May summer opening, and from the bottom looked reasonably large. 

I then drove back to the resort where we were staying and after connecting up the car at the maintenance shed, I took another hike. This time time I went right along the Old Hactery Trail. I passed a meadow and a small clear cut area and ended up at the highway.

We ate dinner in the room. Lots of stars.