Fort Santa Rita

Fort Santa Rita was created in 1804 by the Spanish to protect the copper mines of Santa Rita (Grant County), in New Mexico. It had a triangular shape and three towers. It was built by a civilian, Manuel Elguea. It suffered constant attacks from the Apaches and in 1838, in the Mexican stage it was abandoned. Being the territory ceded to the US in 1848 by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In 1851 the United States Boundary Commission occupied the fort and named it Dawson Cantonment. In 1852 it is occupied by the United States Army, which will call it Gila Copper Mines Post or Fort Webster.[1]