Fort Lowell was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

post active from 1873 to 1891 on the outskirts of

Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

, Arizona. Fort Lowell was the successor to Camp Lowell, an earlier Army installation.http://www.oflna.org/fort_lowell_museum/ftlowell.htm Fort Lowell, retrieved June 28, 2009 The Army chose a location just south of the confluence of the Tanque Verde and Pantano creeks, at the point where they form the

Rillito River The Rillito River (; Spanish "Little River") is a river in Pima County, Arizona. It flows from east to west across the northern boundary of the City of Tucson from the confluence of Tanque Verde Creek and Pantano Wash to the Santa Cruz River ...

, due to the year-round supply of water during that period. The

Hohokam Hohokam was a culture in the Indigenous peoples of the North American Southwest, North American Southwest in what is now part of south-central Arizona, United States, and Sonora, Mexico. It existed between 300 and 1500 CE, with cultural p ...

natives had chosen the site centuries earlier, presumably for the same reason. To this day,

shard Shard or sherd is a sharp piece of glass, pottery or stone. Shard may also refer to: Places * Shard End, a place in Birmingham, United Kingdom Architecture * Dresden Shard, a redesign of the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden, German ...

s of Hohokam

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...

can still be found in the area. The Army claimed a military reservation that encompassed approximately eighty square miles and extended east toward the

Rincon Mountains The Rincon Mountains ( O'odham: Cew Doʼag) are a significant mountain range east of Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, in the United States. The Rincon Mountains are one of five mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson valley. The other ranges includ ...

History

The Post of

was established May 20, 1862, after the

California Column The California Column was a force of Union volunteers sent to Arizona and New Mexico during the American Civil War. The command marched over from California through Arizona and New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and as far east as El Paso, ...

drove Confederate forces from the area. The post was abandoned in July 1864 and reestablished in July 1865. On August 29, 1866, the post was renamed Camp Lowell in honor of General

Charles Russell Lowell Charles Russell Lowell III (January 2, 1835 – October 20, 1864) was a railroad executive, foundryman, and General in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cedar Creek and was mourned by a numb ...

, who died from wounds sustained during the

Battle of Cedar Creek The Battle of Cedar Creek, or Battle of Belle Grove, was fought on October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War. The fighting took place in the Shenandoah Valley of Northern Virginia, near Cedar Creek, Middletown, and the Valley Pike. D ...

. Initially located on the east side of Sixth Avenue, between Twelfth and Fourteenth Streets, the post was moved for sanitary reasons to a location about east of town on March 31, 1873. The post's name was changed to Fort Lowell on April 5, 1879.

Old West Era

The fort played a pivotal role during the

Apache Wars The Apache Wars were a series of armed conflicts between the United States Army and various Apache tribal confederations fought in the Southwestern United States, southwest between 1849 and 1886, though minor hostilities continued until as l ...

, providing additional protection for the Tucson area. Far too large and well-manned to be attacked directly, Fort Lowell provided supplies and manpower for outlying military installations. During its eighteen years of operation, the fort averaged thirteen officers and 239 enlisted men. Among the units present during this period were the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds, The Second, or (The) 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Minute and second of arc, ...

4th Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama ...

, 5th and 6th Cavalry Regiments, as well as the

1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

8th Eighth is ordinal form of the number eight. Eighth may refer to: * One eighth, , a fraction, one of eight equal parts of a whole * Eighth note (quaver), a musical note played for half the value of a quarter note (crotchet) * Octave, an interval b ...

, and

12th Twelfth can mean: *The Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution *The Twelfth, a Protestant celebration originating in Ireland In mathematics: * 12th, an ordinal number; as in the item in an order twelve places from the beginning, follo ...

Infantry Regiment Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

s. The orientation of the post was set according to magnetic north. It featured a large parade grounds, officers' quarters,

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...

and

commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

storehouses,

corrals A pen is a fenced/walled open-air enclosure for holding land animals in captivity, typically for livestock but may also be used for holding other domesticated animals such as pets that are unwanted inside buildings. The term describes types o ...

, quarters for enlisted men as well as for married

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

s. The most prominent building on post was the hospital, the

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

remnants of which still stand under a protective structure. A lane lined with cottonwood trees, aptly named Cottonwood Lane, graced the area in front of the officers' houses. Among the more well known officers to have served at Fort Lowell were the young

Walter Reed Walter Reed (September 13, 1851 – November 23, 1902) was a United States Army, U.S. Army physician who in 1901 led the team that confirmed the theory of Cuban doctor Carlos Finlay that yellow fever is transmitted by a particular mosquito ...

, the Army physician famous for his yellow fever research, and

Charles Bendire Major (rank), Major Charles Emil Bendire (April 27, 1836 – February 4, 1897) was a United States Army soldier and ornithologist and oologist. The Bendire's thrasher is named for him. Early life Born Karl Emil Bender at Bad König, König im Od ...

, the amateur

ornithologist Ornithology, from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (''órnis''), meaning "bird", and -logy from λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is a branch of zoology dedicated to the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related discip ...

after whom Bendire's thrasher is named.

El Fuerte

After the Army decommissioned the post in 1891, the civilian occupied military reservation land was sold and private farms were reestablished along the

. Mexican families from

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

soon moved north to take advantage of the "free" repurposed fort housing and framing jobs. In the early 20th century the small village continued to grow west of the ruins of the old fort. This occupation has become known as the ''El Fuerte'' Period. The small community of adobe houses would continue grow in the first two decades of the 20th century to include the El Callejón Fort Lowell School, and two churches, San Pedro Chapel and the Fort Lowell Union Church. These three civic building created the nexus of the village center and formed an informal plaza.

Fort Lowell Art Colony

In the 1930s Nan, Pete and Charles Bolsius rebuilt the crumbling adobe ruin of the Post Traders Store making it their home and studio. Through the 1940s a number of other artists moved into the Fort Lowell area establishing a burgeoning artist colony. Significant artists and intellectuals built homes and lived in the area including:

René Cheruy René Cheruy (1880-1965) was a soldier, educator and artist who served as a secretary to French sculptor Auguste Rodin, was a professor of French language and literature, was decorated by the French and British governments receiving the Croix de ...

and Germaine Cheruy, Win Ellis, modernist painter Jack Maul, sculptor and designer Giorgio Belloli, Charles Bode, architectural designer Veronica Hughart, anthropologists Edward H. Spicer and Rosamond Spicer, photographer Hazel Larson Archer and weaver Ruth Brown. The artist colony attracted writers and poets including beat generation Alan Harrington and

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...

whose visit is documented in his iconic book

On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagoni ...

Notable artists and writers (20th century)

* Charles Bolsius, Painter, Prints, Woodwork, Architectural Design * Nan Bolsius, author, Woodwork * Pete Bolsius, Tinwork * Hazel Larson Archer, photographer *

Byrd Baylor Byrd Baylor (March 28, 1924 – June 16, 2021) was an American novelist, essayist, and author of picture books for children. Four of her books have achieved Caldecott Honor status. Background Byrd Baylor was born in March 1924 in San Antonio, Te ...

, author * Charles Bode, Painter, designer * Ruth Brown, Weaver * Paul Clinco, Writer and filmmaker * Gordon H. Heck, Architect and historian * Harriet House Shoup, artist * Win Ellis, artist * Keith Martin, furniture builder * Giorgio Belloli, artist, Sculpture, Furniture Design * Ivan Burkhart, photographer *

, artist, Sculpture * Germaine Cheruy Artist, Painter * Alan Harrington, author * Veronica Hughart, Architectural Design *

Barry Hughart Barry Hughart (March 13, 1934 – August 1, 2019) was an American author of fantasy novels. Background Hughart was born in Peoria, Illinois on March 13, 1934. His father, John Harding Page, served as a naval officer. His mother, Veronica ...

, novelist * Jack Maul, Artist (5344 East Fort Lowell Road) * Ruth Phipps, Jewelry and Iron work * Robert Knowe, artist * Edward H. Spicer, Anthropologist * Rosamond Spicer, Anthropologist * Nik Krevitsky, Abstract Expressionist, Dancer * Winnie Yates

Fort Lowell and the Boy Scouts of Tucson

"The Boy Scouts had a long connection to Fort Lowell," explained columnist David Leighton, in the ''

Arizona Daily Star The ''Arizona Daily Star'' is an American daily newspaper based in Tucson, Arizona, and owned by Lee Enterprises. It serves Tucson and surrounding districts of Southern Arizona in the United States. History 1877–1925 L. C. Hughes was the ...

'' newspaper on February 5, 2017: :The first known visit to the old fort ruins by the Boy Scouts of Tucson, which had been established the year before, occurred in April 1912. The scouts marched out to the abandoned fort under the direction of a member of the University of Arizona's military cadet program. During the week-long encampment the boys did a lot of drilling like soldiers but also were given some free time to search for Native American relics. A couple years later, the Fort Lowell Boy Scouts troop, which was formed from boys in the neighborhood that had grown up around the old Ft. Lowell ruins, called El Fuerte and a farming community, populated by Mormons, farther west that came to be named Binghamton. The two troops played a baseball game that year and are believed to have used the area fairly regularly for campouts, target practice etc. until about 1921, when Camp Lawton opened on Mount Lemmon. Within a few years, the Boy Scouts of Tucson became part of the Catalina Council of the Boy Scouts of America. As the years passed, the old fort traded hands a few times, at one point being under the control of the

Arizona State Museum The Arizona State Museum (ASM), founded in 1893, was originally a repository for the collection and protection of archaeological resources. Today, however, ASM stores artifacts, exhibits them and provides education and research opportunities. I ...

of the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

. In 1945, with the assistance of prominent local rancher Carlos Ronstadt, the Boy Scouts bid and obtained 40 acres of the old ruins while preventing the land from falling into the hands of developers, who were rumored to have plans of constructing a subdivision where the ruins existed. A water system was put in place by the Boy Scouts and volunteers and three structures were acquired and donated to the site. One of the structures was used as the Ft. Lowell Training Center and another structure as the Ranger Station. In 1953, the scouts obtained the funds to have a roof built over the remains of the post hospital that still exists today, constructed a rail fence around the hospital ruins which was later replaced by a chain link fence and put up a flagpole just to the south of the remains. While many successful scout events took place there, by 1957 it was realized that the Boy Scouts didn't have enough money to maintain the site and sold it to

Pima County Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...

that year.

Fort Lowell Park

The fort lay in ruins for many years and many of its

structures went into disrepair. Some of the portions of the fort were sold to the families in Tucson. Among the families which acquired in 1928, large portions where the fort was situated was the Adkins family. The Adkins family established a steel tank manufacturing business on the site. In 2006, Jim Campbell, a local developer, purchased the property (known as the Adkins Parcel) and then traded the property to the City of Tucson. The City and County had been attempting to purchase the Adkins Parcel for over 30 years. In 2009, the city in association with

created a Master Plan for the creation and development of what was to become the Fort Lowell Park. The park features ball fields, tennis and racquetball courts, a large public swimming pool, and the Fort Lowell Museum dedicated to Fort Lowell's days as an active military installation. Fort Lowell also includes a large pond. The Adkins Parcel that Tucson purchased from Jim Campbell lies immediately west of Craycroft Road where the last of the original officers' quarters stand. Plans indicated that they would be open to the public as a museum. However, high levels of

lead paint Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead. As pigment, lead(II) chromate (, "chrome yellow"), lead(II,IV) oxide, (, "red lead"), and lead(II) carbonate (, "white lead") are the most common forms.. Lead is added to paint to acceler ...

were found and the buildings were not opened. On the north end of the former Adkins parcel stands a pile of large stones that, according to local lore, formed a wall of the guardhouse in which

Geronimo Gerónimo (, ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a military leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache bands the Tchihen ...

was kept prior to his removal from Arizona. The Fort Lowell Museum is located in the reconstructed Commanding Officer's quarters and is run by the Tucson Presidio Trust which also runs the

Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón was a presidio (Spanish colonization of the Americas, colonial Spanish fort) located within Tucson, Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States. The original fortress was built by Spanish Empire, Spanish soldiers du ...

. Exhibits focus on military life on the Arizona frontier. The Fort Lowell Historic District is the neighborhood located on or near Fort Lowell. It is set aside as a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

. Fort Lowell is the historical setting of the 1957–1958 syndicated

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television series, '' Boots and Saddles'', starring John Pickard, Patrick McVey, and

Gardner McKay George Cadogan Gardner McKay (June 10, 1932 – November 21, 2001) was an American actor, artist, and author. He is best known for the lead role in the TV series ''Adventures in Paradise (TV series), Adventures in Paradise'', based loosely on t ...

. A reconstructed Fort Lowell was featured in the 1972 film '' Ulzana's Raid'', starring

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...

. However, the reconstructed fort was actually built in an area just southwest of the

Santa Rita Mountains The Santa Rita Mountains ( O'odham: To:wa Kuswo Doʼag), located about southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by sout ...

, near Nogales, Arizona.

National Register of Historic Places

Fort Lowell Park and the ruins within the property were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1978. Other properties, which belong to the park or which in the past belonged to Fort Lowell, are individually listed in National Register of Historic Places and include *

Charles Bolsius House Charles Bolsius House, also called "Casa Bienvenidos", is a significant example of the architectural work of artist and designer Charles Bolsius and an important example of Territorial Revival design in the American Southwest. It is located i ...

, listed December 13, 1978, a 20th-century house built around one of the fort's original storehouses * Fort Lowell Officer's Quarter's listed December 13, 1978 * Fort Lowell Quartermaster's Quarters listed December 13, 1978 * Las Saetas, Fort Lowell Post Traders Store listed December 13, 1978 * El Cuartel Viejo, Fort Lowell Quartermaster and Commissary Storehouse listed December 13, 1978 * Fort Lowell Quartermaster's Storehouse listed December 13, 1978 * San Pedro Chapel (St. Peter's at Fort Lowell Mission) listed April 28, 1993

City of Tucson Fort Lowell Historic Preservation Zone

Inclusive and more expansive of the buildings listed

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

, the City of Tucson established the Fort Lowell Historic Zone as a zoning overlay in 1981 to preserve the cultural and historical integrity of the Fort Lowell area. The zoning overlay provides protections for historically significant buildings, ruins, and landscapes, preventing inappropriate alterations and encouraging preservation efforts. The Fort Lowell Historic Zone Advisory Board, composed of local stakeholders and preservationists, oversees the area, reviewing changes to properties within the zone to maintain historical accuracy. The zone includes numerous other building and cultural assets including vernacular Sonoran adobe architecture and homes designed by Charles Bolsius, and Veronica Hughart. Some of the houses and buildings include: * El Callejón * San Pedro Chapel, City of Tucson Historic Landmark * La Tiendita * Juan Xavier House * Cuauhtémoc García House * Harrington House * Spicer House

Historic buildings not included in the national register or city historic zone

Several important historic buildings within the Fort Lowell area were not included in either the

or the City of Tucson Fort Lowell Historic Zone due to the timing of the original designations, which occurred decades ago. Since those designations, additional structures have been identified as having historical, architectural, or cultural significance, but they remain outside the official protections because the review processes at the time did not encompass more recent historical developments. The omission of these buildings highlights the evolving nature of historic preservation and underscores the need for ongoing efforts to update and expand protective designations as new historic contexts emerge. While these buildings are not currently protected by the same regulations as those within the official zones, many continue to play a key role in maintaining the neighborhood's historical ambiance and cultural significance. * Adkins House * Fort Lowell Union Church * Hill Farm House (Designed by Josias Joesler and Arthur T. Brown) * Pantano Farms * Corbett Irrigation Ditch, an

Acequia An acequia () or (, also known as síquia , all from ) is a community-operated watercourse used in Spain and former Spanish colonies in the Americas for irrigation. Acequias are found in parts of Spain, the Andes, northern Mexico, and what i ...

Gallery

Structures and plaques located in Fort Lowell Park.