A ghost comes to Fort Lowell

The army originally established Camp Lowell in 1866 on the outskirts of Tucson. Because of unsanitary conditions there, the army moved the post in 1873 to the present site, seven miles northeast of Tucson. It was constructed on land previously inhabited by a large community of Hohokam people. Fort Lowell, renamed in 1879, boasted four companies of cavalry and infantry. It was one of twelve large military posts in the Arizona Territory during the last quarter of the 19th century. The fort grew to thirty adobe buildings including accommodations, stable, commissary, trading post, kitchens, parade grounds and a hospital. The hospital had thirteen rooms and accommodated sixteen beds. The facility also contained an isolation ward and a morgue. The fort closed in 1891, but some of the ghosts of the brave soldiers may still be guarding the historic adobe camp.

In late 1900, reports of a ghost at Fort Lowell began to surface and the Arizona Daily Citizen newspaper of Tucson covered the escapades of the ghost for the next six months. The ghost became notorious and its haunting was covered in several newspapers across the nation. Here are some of those ghost reports courtesy of the Arizona Daily Citizen newspaper.

December 14, 1900 Citizens of Tucson secured ammunition for an attack upon the ghost should he appear. The ghost was seen each night coming out of the ruins and fading away in the mass of adobe when pursued. Men have shot at it from all sides and it continued to escape. One resident claimed he was within twenty yards of the ghost when it suddenly turned on him and fired a volley of stones at the pursuer. The Mexicans believed the place was haunted as they had seen the ghost come out of the ruins at night, and disappear mysteriously when followed.

December 28, 1900 The Fort Lowell ghost was seen on Christmas Eve when it emerged from the adobe ruins and stole a turkey from a nearby rancher. The ghosts of the fort enjoyed a turkey dinner at the expense of the rancher. Ghosts who throw stones must eat—at least once a year.

January 9, 1901 By now the Fort Lowell ghost was becoming one of the best known ghosts in the country. The stories were being reprinted in newspapers in many parts of the United States. A Mexican woman was lying at the point of death from a fright she had witnessed a few days before. She said she went to a well to draw water and as she bent over the water hole, she saw something white. It climbed the rope and stood for a moment on the edge of the well. It was tall and had no describable shape—just a dim outline of a human form. She stood frozen as it crossed swiftly to one of the dismantled post buildings. It ascended the wall and disappeared on the other side. In an instant the ghost reappeared on the top of the wall—a little ghost with it. Then they slid down the wall and danced away out of sight. She fled to her house and fainted. Her friends were not certain that she will ever recover. None of the Americans had seen it although they have kept watch diligently. The Mexicans were fearful of the ghost and did not venture out after dark.

January 16, 1901 Suddenly, the ghost of Fort Lowell story was the talk of the Tucson area. Reports of other ghosts began to spring up from various newspaper subscribers. One of these readers claimed that Tanque Verde had its own ghost. He even took bets that the Tanque Verde ghost could beat the Fort Verde ghost in a foot race. He stated the Tanque Verde ghost was real because it could be seen in the daylight. He added that no real ghost would live in a well or throw stone. He boasted that the Tanque Verde ghost was genuine because it was never see drunk. The man claimed that after a man dies, he doesn’t have to go out nights to get whisky—"he is spirits himself!"

January 17, 1901 The Fort Lowell ghost came to the home of the home of the newspaper editor and packed off with his wheels. Walking made news gathering a hard job. Any one seeing a ghost riding a bicycle was asked to please notify the The Citizen at once.

January 18, 1901 Late the next night the bicycle was returned to the home of the city editor—the rear wheel and chain filled with mesquite and the tires showing unmistakable signs of being ridden upon the desert. The disappearance of the wheel and its ghostlike return was certainly enough to set an ordinary imagination to work overtime.

The last story I found in the newspaper was dated a couple of months later.

April 13, 1901 Captain Grindell, sole commander of Fort Lowell, had a fresh installment of the story. He said the ghost had appeared again—looking well from the benefit of a two month vacation. A Mexican resident of the fort had recently seen the ghost. The man was sitting beside the fireplace when a sudden gust of smoke came down the chimney and spread out into the room. The shape of a man formed out of the smoke and frightened him. The Mexican spoke a few words of welcome in Spanish, but there was no reply. The ghost could not speak Spanish. The phantom vanished taking with it the cloud of smoke and no one has since heard or seen anything of it!

Today, residents near the old fort state the ghost still returns from time to time.

From Phoenix: Drive south on I 10 to Tucson about 110 miles.