NACO, Ariz. (KGUN) — Southern Arizona’s borderlands are vast. Though much of the regional news coverage lately has hyper-focused on issues surrounding immigration and executive orders, historic locations like Camp Naco have a rich cultural history, which local leaders are working to preserve.
Thursday afternoon, members of the small community of Naco caught a glimpse of a history that’s soon to be restored and made more accessible to the public.
Camp Naco, originally a military barracks, has a long history stretching back to 1910 when it was founded, including housing the Buffalo Soldiers. Now, with help from the city of Bisbee, the Naco Heritage Alliance and grant money, there’s hope that its future will be just as long.
"What’s kind of particularly unique about this site is that the buildings are made out of adobe, and it’s right along the border today," said Jeremy Fricke, executive director of the Naco Heritage Alliance.
In the last 100-plus years, Camp Naco has caught fire and weathered the elements. In the 2000s, the city of Bisbee purchased the site.
"We could see a lot of potential, but it wasn’t until we got all the stars aligned that all this has come together," said Bisbee Mayor Ken Budge.
After receiving $8 million in grants from the Mellon Foundation and the State of Arizona, plans are now in place to revitalize the camp.
Budge expanded on the details of the site overhaul: "They’ve talked about a community garden, they’ve talked about, of course, the museum, and a meeting place for the people in Naco."
There are also plans to preserve the unique history of the camp itself, which housed the famed Buffalo Soldiers in their heyday.
"Of course, we have to keep the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers alive," said Charles Hancock, vice president of the Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers. "Camp Naco will help us preserve their legacy that we have. We have some ideas to turn this into somewhat of a visitor center."
According to a representative for the Naco Heritage Foundation, plans are to have Camp Naco up and running in its new capacity by 2026.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
