Bowie (Images of America)

Founded in 1880 along the Southern Pacific Railroad line, Bowie is located in northern Cochise County. It was originally named Teviston after Capt. James H. Tevis, operator of the Butterfield Overland Stage Station. Later, the town was named after nearby Fort Bowie, which was the scene of many battles with the Chiricahua Apaches. In 1886, the Apaches, including Geronimo and Cochise's son Naiche, were loaded on trains in Bowie and sent to Florida as prisoners of war. The Indian Wars in America were over. Bowie became a major shipping point for the military and the mines. A beautiful train station with a first-class hotel and dining room served the thousands of passengers traveling through. Great soil, pleasant climate, and artesian wells attracted homesteaders who grew every kind of fruit and vegetable imaginable. Ranchers in the nearby mountains shipped cattle by hundreds of carloads at a time. After US Highway 86 was completed, Bowie became a favorite stopping point for travelers. Pecans, pistachios, and wine from local vineyards attract visitors today.