Preservation: The Fort that Wouldn’t Die

The Fort that Wouldn't Die   Southern New Mexico’s Fort Bayard was built in 1866 to protect settlers from the Apache until Geronimo surrendered 20 years later. From there, Bayard became the first U.S. military sanatorium for soldiers suffering from TB, serving up to 400 patients at a time. By 1922, it was a Veterans hospital. During WWII, Fort Bayard held German POWs. From 1965 to four years ago, the State used the fort to care for the old and disabled. The state “decided they didn’t w