Fort Whipple (Prescott, Arizona)
Prescott · Arizona · American Indian Wars
History & Significance
Gold discoveries in central Arizona Territory in May 1863 prompted establishment of the fort to protect miners and secure new gold fields. The post was established at Del Rio Springs with only tents and huts, under General Order #27 issued by General James Henry Carleton.
In May 1864, the fort relocated to higher ground along Granite Creek with better lumber access, enabling better protection of miners and pioneers in the Bradshaw Mountains. From 1870 to 1886, Fort Whipple served as headquarters of the Military Department of Arizona under Colonel George Crook.
In the fort's most notable military engagement on July 17, 1882—the Battle of Big Dry Wash—cavalry reinforced from Whipple helped inflict heavy casualties on Apache warriors, marking the decline of organized Apache resistance in northern Arizona. From May 1885 to July 1886, Fort Whipple housed Colonel Benjamin Grierson and Troop B of the 10th Cavalry Regiment, known as Buffalo Soldiers.
When the United States declared war on Spain in April 1898, the fort served as a mobilization point for 200 Arizona volunteers—later nicknamed the "Rough Riders"—who departed May 4, 1898 for Cuba. The site was certified on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 as the "Fort Whipple/Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center Historic District."
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Restored officers' quarters with military artifacts and exhibits
- American Indian Wars-era tactical base site
- Veterans hospital transformation history
- Historic buildings and grounds near Prescott
- Military Department of Arizona headquarters location
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Whipple,_Arizona
- https://department.va.gov/history/featured-stories/fort-whipple/
- https://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/nodes/view/82619
- https://archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1/the-founding-of-fort-whipple
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Whipple_(2)