EDITOR'S LETTER

History, Hopis and Horses
Fort Bowie National Historic Site. If anyone ever asks you to name one of the most beautiful and least-visited national parks in the country, that’s the answer. I didn’t believe it either. In fact, when a friend told me she’d heard about the ranking on NPR, I thought maybe she was having a hard time reading her hand-scribbled note. Fort Bowie? Really? Turns out, she was right.

A few years ago, members of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees decided to share their insights by identifying the 10 most beautiful and least-visited national parks in the United States — the nearly 400-member group accounts for a total of more than 11,000 years’ worth of NPS experience, so they know what they’re talking about. Among their top 10 was Fort Bowie, which sits in Southeastern Arizona and commemorates the history of the bitter conflict between the Apaches and the U.S. military. The fort is a long haul from civilization, but it’s worth the drive. And so is every other site in this month’s cover story.

In all, we feature 20 of the state’s historic landmarks. Before you reach for another magazine, I know what you’re thinking: Historic landmarks? B-O-R-I-N-G. I drive past those things all the time. Why would anybody stop? It’s a good question, and you’re not alone in your apathy. In an informal poll of about seven people conducted in the checkout line at REI in Tempe, exactly zero shoppers had ever stopped at a roadside marker. I guess they were too intent on getting to the trailhead, which is why we decided to do this story.

We know that none of you are going to stop for a history lesson on your way to somewhere else. So, we’re suggesting you make the historic markers a destination, not a pit stop. Begin with Fort Bowie, and then make your way down the list. By the time you’re finished, you’ll have seen a good chunk of the state, and you’ll have learned something along the way. Of course, our list is just the beginning. There are many other landmarks in Arizona, including Piestewa Peak.

Although it’s best known for its geographic prominence, the rugged mountain in North Phoenix has an impressive history, as well, including the etymology of its name. For decades, the mountain was known as Squaw Peak, but because the word “squaw” is a derogatory term for Native American women, the name was nixed, and in 2008 the peak was officially renamed for Lori Piestewa, a Hopi woman who was killed at the onset of the Iraq War — she was the first Native American woman to die in combat on foreign soil.

Writer Craig Childs wasn’t crazy about the name change — he thought it reeked of political correctness — but a night on the mountain and a better understanding of the new name helped change his mind. Like every essay by Craig Childs, this one’s superb, and it’s accompanied by the brilliant photography of Suzanne Mathia. If you’re a frequent reader of Arizona Highways, you know that Suzanne has become one of our premier photographers. We’re continually blown away by her work, and “WOW” is how we usually respond when she drops something off. We have the same reaction to Scott Baxter’s photography. As you’ll see in Roundup of the Century, his black-and-white portraits are as good as anything we’ve ever published.

Roundup of the Century is a story about Baxter and his opus, a collection of photographs he’s calling “100 Years, 100 Ranchers.” The massive portfolio, which has been designated an official Centennial Legacy Project, documents the lives of men and women whose families have been working Arizona’s open range for at least a century or more. The project won’t be completed until Arizona’s Centennial in February 2012, but after a few beers in Sedona, Scott was willing to give us a sneak preview.

It’s an impressive collection, and the photographs will eventually appear in galleries around the state. But that’s not why Baxter has spent three years and more than $100,000 of his own money on the project. As Kelly Kramer writes: “For Baxter, it isn’t about the exhibitions or his name in lights. It’s about maintaining a piece of Arizona history.”

Mission accomplished. If you love cowboy history, you’re going to love this story. If you prefer the history of cowboys and Indians, head to Fort Bowie. It’s one of the most beautiful and least-visited parks in the country.