Fort Craig was a fort built in 1854 to replace Fort Conrad. It was located on the west bank of the Rio Grande, at the end of the treacherous Jornada del Muerto, a dry and dangerous stretch of El Camino Real. Exhausted travelers arriving near this fort would stop to get water and rest.

The area where it was built was once home to the Piro Indians, who abandoned their communities during the Pueblo Revolt in 1680. After the war between Mexico and the United States, the latter began expanding southward with waves of immigrants attracted by agricultural, mineral, grazing, and hunting lands, as well as by trade and excursions. This led to resentment from native communities, and Fort Craig’s mission was to repel Apache, Navajo, and Comanche raiders.

This military fort had quarters for officers, warehouses, horse stables, a school, a hospital, a supply store, a blacksmith shop, a carpentry shop, and other facilities. Soldiers lived here with their wives and children.

The soldiers' duties included capturing Apaches, Navajos, and Comanches, rescuing hostages, and recovering stolen cattle. In 1861, during the Civil War, it was the site of the first and largest conflict, being directly in the path of battle. By early 1862, the garrison at Fort Craig, consisting of 3,800 troops, was one of the largest. At that time, the walls were fortified, a perimeter ditch was created, bomb-proof underground storage houses were built, and real and dummy cannons were installed.

The sun-bleached ruins now stand as guardians of the memory of 30 years of defending New Mexico’s territory and travelers on El Camino Real.