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Submitted: 3/9/09 • Approved: 3/10/09 • Last Updated: 3/24/18 • R66304-G0-S3
This cemetery which sits on a knoll overlooking Ft. Apache and the surrounding valley could be a really beautiful cemetery if not for the lack of upkeep. It is still a delightful visit and easily accessible.
It is located just off Arizona Hwy 73 on Fort Apache Road. The entrance is approximately 6 tenths of a mile east of the Ft. Apache Museum entrance.
I endeavored to take a photo of each plot, but that turned out not to be practical because of the large number of identical graves marked as UNKNOWN, many of which were infants. Several graves were marked with wooden markers with the markings no longer visible. And several graves were totally unmarked, but obvious.
During the active period of Ft. Apache this cemetery was the burial place for soldiers and their families as well as the Apache scouts and their families. Civilian employees were also buried here.
After the deactivation of the fort in 1922, the remains of most non-Apaches were moved to the federal cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico without disturbing the Apache burials.
The cemetery continues to be occasionally used by the local communities. On some of the headstones you will notice small, round rocks known as "Apache Tears".
Contributed on 3/9/09 by goldwing.traveler
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Record #: 66304