Fort Bowie National Historic Site Geologic Resources Inventory Report

Fort Bowie National Historic Site, authorized in 1964, commemorates the nineteenth century conflict between the Chiricahua Apache and the U.S. military. The site also preserves a slice of geologic history that dates back over 1 billion years and includes the intense deformation that gave rise to Apache Spring. In this arid climate, water has always been a valuable resource, and Fort Bowie was built in 1862 to protect Apache Spring and provide safe passage for the Butterfield Overland Mail route.