FORT GRANT
(1860-1905)
Originally established as Fort Arivaypa and then changed to Fort Breckinridge. The camp was situated in an unhealthy location in the Aravaipa Canyon until a new site for the post was selected in 1872. The camp was destroyed on July 10, 1865 in order to keep its supplies out of Confederate hands. The post was re-established on May 18, 1862 by the California Volunteers and renamed Camp Stanford for Governor Leland Stanford of California. Name was changed back to Fort Breckenridge in October of 1863. On November 1, 1865 the post was renamed Camp Grant in honor of the Union hero General Ulysses S. Grant. This is the site of the infamous Camp Grant Massacre in March of 1871. 550 Pinals and Arivaipa were stationed at Fort Grant after coming in from the Pinal Mountains. On April 30, 1871 William S. Oury and Elias led 146 men against the indians killing 144 almost all women and children and taking 29 captive. There was a trial, but the perpertrators were set free.

The soldiers of Fort Grant played a prominent role in the Apache War of the 1880's. The garrison was withdrawn in 1898, and the fort remained abandoned except for a caretaker by the name of Colonel William F. Stewart in the Artillery Corps. Since 1912, the fort has been occupied by the Arizona State Industrial School, which has modernized many of the original buildings. From Safford, go south on US 66 about 17 miles turn west on State 266 and drive 22 miles to the Arizona State Industrial School.

Websites

Arizona Department of Corrections- Early Agency History Fort Grant
http://www.adc.state.az.us/ftgt-his.htm

Old Camp Grant
http://www.geocities.com/~zybt/grnt.htm

Camp Grant Massacre

Books

The history of Fort Grant, by Jerome Stone.
UA26 .G63 S7x

History of Fort Grant, 1872-1972.
HV9105 .A69 A7x

Vast domain of blood; the story of the Camp Grant massacre.
E99 .A6 S36


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In addition, if you have any questions about this site or Arizona History, feel free to e-mail Jeffrey