Fort Selden
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Fort Selden
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Ruins of Fort Selden
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| Nearest city | Las Cruces, New Mexico |
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| Coordinates | 32°29′45″N 106°55′30″W / 32.49583°N 106.92500°WCoordinates: 32°29′45″N 106°55′30″W / 32.49583°N 106.92500°W |
| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1865 |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000401 |
| NMSRCP # | 47 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 9, 1970 |
| Designated NMHS | 1974 |
| Designated NMSRCP | March 21, 1969 |
Fort Selden was a United States Army post, occupying the area in what is now Radium Springs, New Mexico. The site was long a campground along the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. I was the site of a Confederate Army camp in 1861. The U. S. Army established Fort Selden in 1865 for the purpose of protecting westward settlers from Native American raids, the post fell into disrepair after the American Civil War. It was ultimately abandoned in 1891, due in large part to the decision to expand Fort Bliss and the lack of any expenditures for repair of the facility.
For centuries the site of Fort Selden had been the Paraje de Robledo, a camp site along the course of the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. The campground or paraje was named for an old Spanish soldier on the 1598 expedition of Juan de Oñate, Pedro Robledo, who died and was buried there. It became known as La Cruz de Robledo because of the cross originally marking his grave there. Later the name was shortened to Paraje Robledo.
Paraje Robledo was the last stop along the Rio Grande before the Camino Real left the river to enter the Jornada del Muerto on the way north toward Santa Fe. By the time of the American Civil War the Mesilla Valley, around Las Cruces had developed a population base who valued the fertile land along the Rio Grande and were suffering from attacks by the Apache. Also travelers along Camino Real, that passed through the area, were uneasy about moving further north on the Jornada del Muerto for the same reason.
In 1861, the Confederate Army established a post, Camp Robledo, at the Paraje de Robledo to guard the approaches from the north to the Mesilla Valley of Confederate Arizona along the Rio Grande and across the Jornada del Muerto on the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. It was used as a base for cavalry patrols and operations against Fort Craig and other places in Union held New Mexico Territory.
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