Category Archives: Local History – Cochise County
The Wrath of Cochise, by Terry Mort: A Book Review
Most Americans know at least a little about Custer’s Last Stand, also known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The incident has an epic quality worthy of Homer’s Illiad or Virgil’s Aeneid. The battle took place on June 25th & 26th, 1876 between the combined forces of the Lakoda, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes [...]
Continue readingFairbank AZ: Ghost Town
Fairbank is a Southern Arizona ghost town, and one of the best preserved, thanks to numerous conservation efforts. It’s located in the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area about 10 miles west of Tombstone. Here conservation efforts have saved the San Pedro River, a haven for dozens of species of critters and birds.
Continue readingThe Coronado Expedition: 1540-42.
The story of the Coronado Expeditions is one of bravery, perseverance, high adventure, faith, and incredible greed. Between hiking trails and scenic back roads, we can retrace their historic route.
Continue readingSantiago’s Mexican Restaurant, Bisbee
Just about every time I have gone to Bisbee over the past year I have tried to dine at Santiago’s Mexican Restaurant. However, something always managed to spoil my plans…until last week.I had heard a lot of positive comments about Santiago’s as I wandered Old Bisbee taking photographs and talking with the natives. Now I know why. Just walking in the front door will put a smile on your face. The interior is light and colorful, even playful. Very Mexican in the best possible sense. Santiago’s is a happy place.
Continue readingGhost Town Slideshow – Gleeson, Pearce, Courtland, Cochise, AZ
Ghost Town Trail: A road trip through Southeastern Arizona from Gleeson to Courtland to Pearce to Cochise.
These were all mining boomtowns in the early decades of the 20th century. While each had its own distinct character, they all succumbed to the same fate. When their mines played out, the inhabitants left for better pickings.
Gleeson Ghost Town & Rattlesnake Oddities
Our April 2012 road trip took us first to the ghost town of Gleeson (yes, that’s how they spelled it). After a look around at some of the ruins, we headed west toward Tombstone on a dirt road for just a few miles until we saw the sign for Rattlesnake Crafts, one of Southern Arizona’s stranger places. John & Sandy Weber make and sell wallets, belts, and other items out of rattlesnake skins. They also have a significant collection of gems and Old West artifacts.
Continue readingMescal Arizona: A Slideshow
Mescal Arizona is a faux Old West town 50 miles east of Tucson that was built as a movie set. A lot of Westerns were filmed here, including Quick & The Dead …
Continue readingGhost Town Trail: Pearce To Cortland To Gleeson!
On a recent Road Trip, we stopped at a few ghost towns, namely Pearce, Cortland, and Gleeson along the Ghost Town Trail. These are all located near Sunsites east of Tombstone.
Continue readingSend Some Apaches To New York. That’ll Show ‘Em!
Like so many others, I enjoy local histories. Understanding history is how I get a sense of the places and people I visit as I travel around Baja Arizona creating my videos, photographs, stories, and reviews to share with you on my Southern Arizona Guide. Of late, I have been reading extensively about the Apache [...]
Continue readingFort Bowie and the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage
The stages had to go through Apache Pass because that’s were they could find the easiest way through the Dos Cabezas Mountains and a year ’round source of water at Apache Springs. Fort Bowie was built there to protect the stage drivers and passengers from Apache attacks.
Continue readingApache Country Map
(A) Fort Lowell in east Tucson. (B) Fort Bowie. (C) Cochise Stronghold. (D) Chiricahua National Monument. (E) Fort Huachuca.
View main Apache Wars article here:
Read the Apache Wars sequence of events in the following article.
Two good places to dine and overnight in Southeastern Arizona are:
- Sandy’s Restaurant & RV Park; Pearce (Sunizona), AZ
- Sunglow Guest Ranch Resort, east of Pearce a few miles
The Apache Wars: Key Places & People.
Places of Major Historical Importance In Southeastern Arizona include Ft. Huachuca, Ft. Bowie, Chiracahua Mountains, and Cochise Stronghold
Continue readingThe Apache Wars: A Timeline.
The saga of the Apache Wars is both complex and compelling. For over a quarter century, hundreds of ambushes, raids, massacres, and full-fledged military battles occurred over a huge, rugged, and diverse landscape. The wars involved hundreds of notable participants. The following is the merest of highlights to help you get your mind around the amazing history of many places you can visit here.
Continue readingThe Bisbee Massacre
On a cold December day in 1883, five men robbed the Goldwater & Casteneda Store on Main Street that substituted for Bisbee’s only bank.
Continue readingCochise Stronghold Natural Apache Fortress
This rugged natural fortress was, for some 15 years, the home and base of operations for the famed Chiricahua Apache Chief, Cochise. Cochise and about 1,000 of his followers, of whom some 250 were warriors, located here. Sentinels, constantly on watch from the towering pinnacles of rock, could spot their enemies in the valley below and sweep down without warning in destructive raids. No White Eyes, man, woman or child, within a hundred miles was safe from these attacks. Click here to read more. Enjoy Hiking, birdwatching, rockclimbing. Stargazing or just cooling off in the 5000ft. Elevation. Camping is available and run by the BLM. RV’s no longer than 30′. There are 9 tent or RV sites, and 2 group sites.
Nearby lodging
Cochise Stronghold B&B.
Sunglow Ranch
