Fort Lowell
| Fort Lowell | |
|---|---|
| Tucson, Arizona | |
Ruins of the hospital at Old Fort Lowell, Tucson.
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| Type | Army fortification |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |
 Arizona
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| Condition | tourist attraction |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1873 |
| Built by |
 United States
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| In use | 1873 - 1891 |
| Materials | adobe, mesquite, earth |
| Battles/wars | Apache Wars |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants |
 United States Army
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Fort Lowell Park
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Fort Lowell Park Museum
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| Location | 2900 North Craycroft Road, Tucson, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Built | 1878 |
| NRHP Reference # | 78003358 |
| Added to NRHP | 1978 |
Fort Lowell was a United States Army post active from 1873 to 1891 on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona. Fort Lowell was the successor to Camp Lowell, an earlier Army installation. 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, due to the year-round supply of water during that period. The Hohokam natives had chosen the site centuries earlier, presumably for the same reason. To this day, shards of Hohokam pottery 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 Post of Tucson was established May 20, 1862, after the California Column 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, who died from wounds sustained during the Battle of Cedar Creek. 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 7 miles (11 km) east of town on March 31, 1873. The post's name was changed to Fort Lowell on April 5, 1879.
The fort played a pivotal role during the Apache Wars, 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, 4th, 5th and 6th Cavalry Regiments, as well as the 1st, 8th, and 12th Infantry Regiments.
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