Fort Bowie National Historic Site, authorized in 1964, commemorates the nineteenth century conflict between the Chiricahua Apache and the U.S. military. The site also preserves a slice of geologic history that dates back over 1 billion years and includes the intense deformation that gave rise to Apache Spring. In this arid climate, water has always been a valuable resource, and Fort Bowie was built in 1862 to protect Apache Spring and provide safe passage for the Butterfield Overland Mail route.