21 Jul Fort Stanton: Sprawling Military & World Lore
Fort Stanton is situated on 240 acres and surrounded by 25,000 acres of undeveloped BLM land in south-central New Mexico. There are 88 buildings on this historic site, many dating back to 1855. The site’s diverse structures make up a Territorial-era military fort left in New Mexico, a New Deal-era medical facility, and a World War II-era German prisoner camp. Fort Stanton features officers’ quarters and barracks, a hospital and morgue, nurses’ quarters, a guardhouse, a dining hall, a chapel, a power plant and laundry, a gymnasium and pool, a fire station, horse stables, among other features.
The Merchant Marine Cemetery at Fort Stanton, with rows of white crosses and a taller monument, is a dramatic site not far from the fort. Established in 1855 as a military post to control the Mescalero Apache Indians, Fort Stanton may be one of the most intact 19th-century military forts in all of America today. It is certainly one of the most impressive historic settings of any site in the Southwest United States.
In 1861, the Fort was abandoned to Confederate forces in the early stages of the American Civil War. The fort returned to the Union fold in 1862, under the command of the legendary Christopher (Kit) Carson. During the 1870s and 1880s, Buffalo Soldiers from Fort Stanton helped pursue Apache bands led by Victorio and Geronimo. John J. “Black Jack” Pershing served two tours of duty at Fort Stanton in the 1880s. It is currently a state monument and museum, visited by tens of thousands of tourists each year.
Total Trip Time: (leaving parking lot of Ruidoso Convention Center and Tour Completion): 30 minutes
Meeting Times: 2 PM, Oct. 14th (Pre-Conference Tour)
Where to Meet: 104 Kit Carson Road, Fort Stanton, NM. Fort Stanton is located just off the Billy the Kid Scenic Byway (Hwy 380) on Hwy 220 at the Bonito River. The turnoff to Hwy 220 is 4 miles southeast of Capitan on the Byway or 10 miles west of Lincoln, NM.
Tour Leader: Dr. Olliver Horn, Regional Director of Fort Stanton and Lincoln
Actual Tour Time: 2 pm
Terrain: Wheelchair accessible
What to Bring: Water, snacks, sunscreen, boots, hat.
Group Limit: 20
Age Limit: none
Difficulty Level: easy
Special Directions, Safety Restrictions, etc.:
Nearby Attractions:
Fort Stanton Veterans Cemetery, Lincoln Historic Site (Lincoln), Smokey Bear Museum (Capitan), Spencer Theater, Village of Ruidoso