Historical Marker

Fort Defiance


Now in the State of Arizona, but then in the Territory of New Mexico, Fort Defiance was once described as “the most beautiful and interesting post as a whole in New Mexico.” It was established in 1851 to control the Navajos, and abandoned as a military post in 1864.

The first European to visit what is now New Mexico was likely Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer who traveled through the region in the early 16th century. However, it was not until the arrival of Juan de Oñate in 1598 that the Spanish established a permanent settlement in the area.
New Mexico random facts