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Fort Selden Historic Site preserves the ruins of a US Army post in southern New Mexico. It’s located near Las Cruces.
Visiting Fort Selden Historic Site
Fort Selden Historic Site is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30am to 4pm. Admission is US$5 for adults and free for kids under 17 (as of May 2025). There’s a short interpretive trail through the ruins and a small museum at the visitor center. Check the official website for more info.
History of Fort Selden
The land occupied by the fort was originally known as Paraje de Robledo, a campground along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. It dates back to 1598 and is named for Pedro Robledo, a Spanish soldier who died and was buried there during the expedition of Juan de Oñate (1550-1626). The campground was the last stop along the trail before the Jornada del Muerto (Deadman’s Journey), a dangerous desert crossing reaching about 100 miles north to Socorro.
In 1861, the Confederate Army established a military post on the site called Camp Robledo. It was used for cavalry patrols and operations against Fort Craig as well as to guard from Union approaches from the north towards Confederate Arizona.
Active Years
Fort Selden was established after the Civil War in 1865 to protect settlers from Native American raids. It was named for Colonel Henry Raymond Selden (1821-1865), an officer who served the Union for many years in New Mexico and was a veteran of both the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. Selden died of an illness on February 2, 1865, and was buried at Fort Union. His grave was later moved to Santa Fe National Cemetery.
The first soldiers to occupy the fort arrived from California on July 31, 1865. Later, several units of African-American soldiers, known as Buffalo Soldiers, were stationed there. Many Buffalo Soldiers stationed there earned Medals of Honor for their bravery.
In 1884, Captain Arthur MacArthur Jr. (1845-1912) became post commander of the fort. He lived there with his wife and two young sons, Arthur MacArthur III (1876-1923) and Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). An interpretive panel in front of the Officers’ Quarters where the MacArthurs lived from 1883 to 1886 includes a family photo.
Douglas went on to become a five-star general and a prominent figure in the Pacific theater during World War II. He wrote that at Fort Selden he and his brother “learned to ride and shoot, even before we learned to read and write”.
Decline of Fort Selden
By late 1886, the threat of raids declined. Chiricahua Apache warrior Geronimo (1829-1909) surrendered to Brigadier General Nelson A. Miles (1839-1925) at Skeleton Canyon in Arizona made the fort obsolete.
Because of this, Lieutenant General William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) ordered the consolidation of six military posts in southern New Mexico and eastern Arizona. Fort Selden was the leading candidate for the site of the new post, but Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, was chosen because of its growth due to the railroads. The government decommissioned Fort Selden and it was abandoned on January 20, 1891.
Preservation
In 1963, Harry N. Bailey, the owner of the land surrounding Fort Selden, donated it to the state according to his father’s wishes. By that time the ruins had been damaged by the elements as well as vandals and treasure hunters.
Fort Selden was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and was declared a New Mexico State Monument on July 2, 1973. It’s operated by New Mexico Historic Sites, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
Visitor Center at Fort Selden Historic Site
The visitor center contains an excellent museum with displays about the history of the fort as well as military life on the frontier. There are several photographs, uniforms, and a scale model of the fort on display.
Some of the most interesting displays showcase the many items unearthed at the ruins. They include glass bottles and pottery, toothbrushes, pipes, wrappers, shoes, buttons, and more.
The Sentinel
At the beginning of the trail through the ruins is a sculpture by Reynaldo Rivera. Its titled The Sentinel and depicts a soldier from the 8th and 9th cavalry in 1876.
