Fort Grant, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Grant |
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| Aravaipa Canyon, Arizona | |
Fort Grant, c. 1885
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| Coordinates | 32°37′26.1″N 109°56′41.7″W / 32.623917°N 109.944917°W |
| Type | Army fortification |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  Arizona |
| Condition | Repurposed as a state prison |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1872 |
| Built by |  United States |
| In use | 1860–1905 |
| Battles/wars | Apache Wars |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants |  United States Army |
Fort Grant is a place in Arizona that used to be an important Army fort. Today, it is a state prison. It sits on the side of Mount Graham in Graham County. The fort was named after Ulysses S. Grant, who was the 18th President of the United States.
Contents
The Early Days of Fort Grant
Fort Grant started in August 1860 in the Arizona Territory. It was first called Fort Breckinridge. This early fort was located where Aravaipa Creek and the San Pedro River meet.
In 1861, the fort was destroyed and left empty. This happened when the Union soldiers left at the start of the American Civil War.
New Names and New Locations
From 1862 to 1865, soldiers from the California Column used the old Fort Breckinridge site. They called it Fort Stanford or Camp Stanford. When the U.S. Army returned, they renamed it Camp Grant from 1865 to 1872.
In 1872, the Army moved Camp Grant to a new spot. This new location was on the side of Mount Graham. The move happened after a sad event called the Camp Grant Massacre. The new fort was placed to help protect settlers from Apache warriors. It played a big part in the Apache Wars of the 1880s.
Famous People and Events
Many interesting things happened at Fort Grant. Some famous people were connected to the fort.
Billy the Kid's Time in Arizona
A young man named Henry McCarty, better known as "Billy the Kid", lived near Fort Grant in 1876. He worked on a ranch, taking care of sheep. In 1877, McCarty had a conflict with a local blacksmith. He was taken to the Fort Grant stockade, which was like a jail. However, he managed to escape to the New Mexico Territory before he could be tried.
The Wham Paymaster Robbery
Fort Grant was also the starting point for wagons carrying money to pay soldiers. In 1889, one of these wagons was robbed in an event known as the Wham Paymaster robbery.
Edgar Rice Burroughs' Stay
Edgar Rice Burroughs, who later wrote the famous Tarzan books, was stationed at Fort Grant in 1896. He was a soldier there after he couldn't get into a military academy. He left the Army in 1897 because of a heart condition.
A Staging Point for Soldiers
In 1900, Fort Grant became a place where soldiers gathered before going to the Philippines. They went there to fight in the Philippine–American War.
Fort Grant After the Army
The Army left Fort Grant in 1905. All the soldiers moved to Fort Huachuca. The fort was mostly empty, with only a caretaker looking after it.
Becoming a State School
In 1912, Arizona became a state. The State Industrial School for Young People Needing Guidance then took over the fort. This school updated many of the old buildings.
Today's Prison Facility
In 1968, the state of Arizona gave the site to the Arizona Department of Corrections. By 1973, Fort Grant had become a state prison for men. In 1997, it became part of a larger prison complex based in Safford. The main road to Fort Grant is Arizona State Route 266. There is also an old small airport, Angel Field, near the prison.
Images for kids
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Fort Grant, around 1885
See also
In Spanish: Fuerte Apache (Arizona) para niños
