Cochise County is called the "Land of Legends" and the Western history you'll find in its mountains, canyons and towns bear that moniker out. The county is named for the famous Chihuahua Apache chief, Cochise. A legendary chief who was never defeated in battle, he at last made a treaty with the U.S. government in 1872. An excellent article on Cochise is found here . His last home before his death was Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains. He and his Apache army raided the area with impunity, killing ranchers, settlers, and Butterfield Stagecoach drivers. Some of his faithful followers took his body back to the Stronghold and buried him in an unknown location. A single white man knew the grave site, but never revealed it. The Stronghold is about 35 miles as the crow flies from Casa Wallace, but alas, no roads that make it a short trip. Instead, we take the I-10 east and exit at Dragoon Road to make the trip of 1.5 hours to the remote mountain area. After passing ...
Positively encouraging