Fort Whipple, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Fort Whipple was a U.S. Army post which served as Arizona Territory
's capital prior to the founding of Prescott
, Arizona
. The post was founded by Edward Banker Willis
in January 1864 in Chino Valley, Arizona
, but was moved in May 1864 to Granite Creek near the present day location of Prescott. The post was closed in 1913. Soon after retiring as a U.S. Army post, it became a Military Hospital that was used throughout the World War I
and World War II
eras. The Fort is still a veteran's hospital today and is also a tourist attraction. The name of the outpost comes from the last name of Amiel Weeks Whipple, a Union General who served in the American Civil War
but who died at the Battle of Chancellorsville
due to injuries.
Fiorello LaGuardia's father, Achille was bandmaster there in the 1890's and Fiorello attended school in nearby Prescott, Arizona
.
Along with being a hospital, the fort still has buildings on the hills nearby, which once served as the officers quarters. Now, the buildings are homes to nurses and doctors of the hospital.
and the Bob Stump Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
's capital prior to the founding of Prescott
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The post was founded by Edward Banker Willis
Edward Banker Willis
Edward Banker Willis was a United States military officer during the American Civil War. He participated in the Trans-Mississippi Theater, fighting rebels and hostile native Americans in the frontier of Arizona and New Mexico.-Biography:Willis was born on January 9, 1831 in New York City and when...
in January 1864 in Chino Valley, Arizona
Chino Valley, Arizona
Chino Valley is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the Census Bureau, the population of the town is 10,817.-Geography:...
, but was moved in May 1864 to Granite Creek near the present day location of Prescott. The post was closed in 1913. Soon after retiring as a U.S. Army post, it became a Military Hospital that was used throughout the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
eras. The Fort is still a veteran's hospital today and is also a tourist attraction. The name of the outpost comes from the last name of Amiel Weeks Whipple, a Union General who served in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
but who died at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
due to injuries.
Fiorello LaGuardia's father, Achille was bandmaster there in the 1890's and Fiorello attended school in nearby Prescott, Arizona
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
.
Along with being a hospital, the fort still has buildings on the hills nearby, which once served as the officers quarters. Now, the buildings are homes to nurses and doctors of the hospital.
Fort Whipple Museum
One of the military officer's quarters has been turned into the Fort Whipple Museum, with artifacts and history about the fort and hospital, including medical instruments, Army weaponry, the Buffalo Soldiers, maps, photographs and memoirs written by those stationed there. The museum is operated as a joint project of the Sharlot Hall MuseumSharlot Hall Museum
The Sharlot Hall Museum is an open air museum located in Prescott, Arizona. Opened in 1928 by Sharlot M. Hall as the Old Governor's Mansion Museum, it is dedicated to preserving the history and folklore of Yavapai County, Arizona...
and the Bob Stump Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
External links
- Fort Whipple Museum - Sharlot Hall Museum