A Brief History of Fort McDowell

Destination Arizona
B. Thomas Cooper
Editor


Fort McDowell, located twenty-three miles northeast of Phoenix, wasn’t always the modern resort and gaming community it is today.

Established September 7, 1865 along the west bank of the Rio Verde, this vital military installation sat seven miles north of the confluence of the Rio Verde (Verde River) and Rio Salado (Salt River). This was the site of Camp McDowell.

To the east, the silvery gray mountain range known as ‘Four Peaks‘, dominates a truly magnificent view, rising to over seven thousand feet in elevation. This rough but beautiful countryside has long been home to a variety of indigenous peoples, including the Yavapai and the Tonto Apache.


B. Thomas Cooper

When settlers began arriving from the east, some of these Indians chose to seek refuge in the surrounding mountains rather than conform to the constraints of reservation life. These displaced Indians, called ‘renegades‘ by some, often traveled in small groups to avoid detection. Their mere presence caused fear and unrest for nervous settlers, and thus the importance of establishing a military installation in the region.

Fort McDowell was in close proximity to a number of trails important to the Apache of central Arizona, and the installation conducted numerous military exercises against the Tonto Apache and others. Originally named Camp Verde, the fort was thought to be able to withstand an onslaught from these so called ‘renegades’ but in fact, the structures failed to survive the heavy summer monsoon rains, washing away not long after being built. Upon completion of reconstruction, the fort was renamed Camp McDowell, in honor of Major General Irwin McDowell.

The camp’s officers quarters consisted of a long line of low slung adobe structures, each with windows facing the parade grounds. Behind the buildings ran a long, narrow roadway, followed by yet another row of structures, these containing the kitchens and other necessary facilities. A handful of outbuildings, also adobe, were scattered throughout the complex.

The summer heat at the camp was predictably intense and often unbearable. As a consequence, it was not unusual for the soldiers to sleep outside on the parade grounds. Even their beds were dragged outdoors. The soldiers found the desert stars breathtaking. Unfortunately, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and other desert threats were always nearby, waiting for an opportunity to crawl up some hapless victim‘s pant-leg. It was no secret such risk came with the territory.

On April 10, 1890, the installation became the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation, serving the Mohave, Apache, Yavapai, and Pima tribes. In all, over 25,000 acres were set aside for the reservation with additional land being granted in 1903.

Today, the location is home to the Fort McDowell Casino along with six hundred or so full time reservation residents. Many of these residents work at, or are employed by the casino. Others however, prefer to live much as they’re relatives might have lived years ago, before their land became a reservation. Back before fences lined the roadways and neon lights beckoned to passer-by. Back before the white man brought with him his guns and his armies, before this sacred and beautiful place was known as Fort McDowell.

There’s not much left to see of the old camp, but the Fort McDowell Casino and Resort steadily draws thousands of visitors to this arid locale. The casino is the life-blood of this small community, but certainly not the heart and soul, which still reside within the proud traditions of these extraordinary people.

Fort McDowell Casino can be reached from Phoenix by taking highway 87 North, toward Payson, or by taking Shea Blvd eastward past Fountain Hills. Gas, lodging and other accomodations are available on the reservation, and in nearby Fountain Hills, only a few minutes drive by car.

Destination Arizona
Destination Arizona