Fort Verde State Historic Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fort Verde District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Commanding officer's house and Dennis Lockhart portraying General Crook
Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Bounded by Hance, Coppinger, and Woods Streets, Camp Verde, Arizona
Area	12 acres (4.9 ha)
Built	1872
Visitation	10,320 (2022)
NRHP reference No.	71000120
Added to NRHP	October 7, 1971

Fort Verde State Historic Park is a cool place in Camp Verde, Arizona. It helps us remember what an army fort from the Apache Wars looked like in the 1880s. The park opened in 1970. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places a year later. This means it's a really important historical site!

Fort Verde was built in 1871. It's special because it's the best-preserved army post from General Crook's time. He led important campaigns against Native American tribes in 1872 and 1873.

Why Fort Verde Was Built

Early Settlers and Native Americans

In the mid-1800s, settlers moved near the Verde River in Arizona. They grew crops like corn. They hoped to sell their crops for good money in nearby Prescott, Arizona. Prescott was the capital of the Arizona Territory back then. Miners in the area also bought their food.

More and more people came to the area for mining. This changed the hunting and gathering lands for the local Native American tribes. These tribes included the Dilzhe'e Apache and Yavapai. Because their food sources were disrupted, they sometimes raided the farmers' crops for food.

The Army Arrives

The farmers asked the United States Army for help. In 1865, soldiers arrived. This was even though Arizona wasn't a state yet. Over the next few years, the army set up several camps:

• In 1865, a small camp was made five miles (8 km) south of today's Camp Verde.
• From 1866 to 1871, Camp Lincoln was used. It was a mile north of where Fort Verde is now.
• From 1871 to 1873, Camp Verde was built. This is the fort we see today.
• In 1879, Camp Verde was renamed Fort Verde.
• The army left Fort Verde in 1891.
• The fort was sold to the public in 1899.

Changing Roles for the Army

By 1872, about 1,500 local Native Americans were moved to a reservation. The army's job then changed. Instead of just protecting settlers, they also made sure Native Americans stayed on the reservation. The last big fight with Native Americans who resisted happened in 1882. This was at the Battle of Big Dry Wash.

What Fort Verde Was Like

Fort Verde was never surrounded by walls or fences. No battles ever happened right at the fort itself. At its busiest, it had twenty-two buildings. Only four of these buildings survived until 1956. That year, local people started a small museum in the administration building. Later, they gave the buildings and ten acres (40,000 m²) of land to become a State Park.

Some of the buildings were made using a special method called pice. This meant using large adobe slabs. These slabs were cast in wooden frames. It was different from using many small adobe bricks.

Historic Buildings at Fort Verde State Historic Park

You can see several important buildings and markers at the park today. They help tell the story of Fort Verde.

• The "0" Mile General Crook Trail Marker shows where General George Crook started a military supply trail in 1871. This trail connected Forts Whipple, Verde, and Apache. It's near the Fort Verde Administration Building.
• The main Administration Building was where important decisions for the fort were made. Today, it's the Visitor Center for the Fort Verde Museum. It has exhibits and old items from army life. You can learn about the Indian Scouts and the Indian Wars era here.
• Inside the Commanding officers office in the Administration Building, you can imagine what it was like to work there.
• A display of uniforms shows what the soldiers at Fort Verde once wore. This display is also in the old Administration Building.
• The Commanding Officer Quarters was the home for the fort's main leader.
• The Bachelor Officers’ Quarters was where unmarried officers lived.
• The Doctor's & Surgeons Quarters was the home and office for the fort's medical staff.