The History of Fort McDowell
During the 1860s, when gold was discovered in Arizona, the drive to move west hit America. Indian tribes lived in the area, some already confined to reservations, and some who chose not to live the reservation life known as renegades. The Yavapai and Tonto Apache were among those renegade tribes. Military forts were set up as base camps to fight the renegade Indians. One such fort was Fort McDowell.
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Establishment
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Established in September 1865, Fort McDowell was located west of the Verde River in Scottsdale, Arizona, and close to many trails used by the Apache Indians. The military fort was created to protect settlers in the area from the renegade Apache and Yavapai Indians.
Namesake
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Originally called Camp Verde, the name was changed to Camp McDowell after General Irwin McDowell, who was famous for the losing the First Battle of Bull Run during the Civil War.
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Important Battle
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The battle called the "Skeleton Cave Massacre" occurred on September 28, 1872, when 100 Yavapai Indians were killed. According to the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, this was the worst massacre in their history and was included in Army reports as one of "the most terrible battles in Apache history."
Fort McDowell Indian Reservation
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In 1890, Fort McDowell became the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation, serving the Apache, Mohave, and Pima Indians. In 1903, more land was given to the reservation for a total of nearly 25,000 acres.
Fort McDowell Today
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Today there is not much left of the old fort. The site is now the Fort McDowell Casino and is home to some 600 reservation residents.
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