The original spanish name for this
location is Presidio Santa Cruz de la Terrenate. Terrenate was founded
in 1742 and was located southwest of the Huachuca Mountains. Late in
1775 Santa Cruz de Terrenate was relocated to the area of Fairbanks.
Located on a bluff overlooking the San Pedro River this location seemed
ideal as it provided wood, water and lush
pastures for their cattle and horses along with fields for the friendly Pima
Indians that had with them to cultivate. However, the Apache began to
harass the settlement, attacking anyone who ventured out for water or tried
to plant crops in the nearby fields as the location was in the heartland of
their territory. The Apache were attracted to the large herd of horses
kept at the presidio and "liberated" most of them. At first the
Spanish soldiers were able to retrieve some of their horses but as more were
stolen they became less able to pursue them due to lack of mounts. Apache indian attacks,
loss of horses and men eventually forced the presidio to be abandoned around
1780. The Spaniards methods of warfare could not stand up to the
guerrilla tactics and lighting fast raids that the Apache used.
This was one of a series of forts or as
the Spanish called them "Presidios" that were set up to guard the northern
reaches of "New Spain" . The presidios all also contained
missions as this was the second part of their function. The preserved remains of the presidio are
located on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) property. The BLM has a
designated hiking trail to and through the site to minimize the impact of
visitors, please stay on the paths. Interpretative signs are posted
along the trail at the ruins and brochures are available. The trail is
approximately 1.2 miles long and is called the Presidio Trail. It is
located on Kellar Road, about 2 miles north of Highway 82.
Currently at this time we have no
photographs or other information. If you would like to contribute to
this page or any other page on our site with photos, etc. we will put your
name under the photos.
If you would like to read more about the
Spaniards and their conquest of the southwest or about the presidios here is
some recommended books:
The Presidio Bastion of the Spanish
Borderlands by Max Moorehead - U of Oklahoma Press.
The Spanish Borderlands Frontier: 1513 - 1821 by John Francis Bannon
- U of New Mexico Press.
Hispanic Arizona: 1536 - 1856 by James E. Officer - U of A
Press
