Uncovering the hardscrabble history of Fort McDowell, Arizona

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 western banks of the Rio Verde (Verde River), Fort McDowell began as a humble but vital military installation. Seven miles north of the confluence of the Rio Verde and Rio Salado, (Salt River) Camp McDowell was built to protect new arrivals to the valley from the threat of indigenous residents, less than enthusiastic about their new neighbors.

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

When settlers began arriving from the east, many indigenous residents were forced onto reservations. Some, however, chose to seek refuge in the surrounding mountains rather than conform to the constraints of reservation life. Called renegades by many, these displaced people often traveled in small groups to avoid detection. Their mere presence caused fear and unrest for many a nervous settler, and thus the importance of establishing a military installation in the region.

Originally named Camp Verde, the meager fort was in close proximity to a number of trails important to the Apache of central Arizona, with the installation conducting numerous military exercises against the Tonto Apache and others. 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 new 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. Although the soldiers found the desert sky breathtaking, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and other desert threats were always nearby, quietly waiting for an opportunity to slither up some hapless victims 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.

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 accommodations are available on the reservation, and in nearby Fountain Hills, only a few minutes drive by car.


Destination Arizona
Destination Arizona