Print
Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 16 April 2016 16 April 2016

From left, Santa Clara Village Trustee Rocky Hildebrand, Master Gardener Gary Stailey, Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society President Cecilia Bell, and NM State Forestry Tonya Vowles discover a still living pear tree at the historic Fort Bayard Orchard. This pear tree was one of the two fruit trees still alive in the century-old orchard. (Courtesy Photo)

Fort Bayard, NM'April 18, 2016'A trio of Grant County Master Gardeners mapped the remnants of the historic Fort Bayard Orchard for preservation and future restoration efforts. A public viewing of the map is scheduled during Earth Day, April 23, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Gough Park at the Grant County Neighborhood Orchards' booth.

According to Cecilia Bell, President of the Fort Bayard Historic Preservation Society, the orchard was planted by George Bushnell over a century ago. At that time, the facility had transformed from an Army fort into a sanitarium to treat tuberculosis patients.

Besides the orchard of 200 fruit trees, Fort Bayard had vegetable gardens, a green house, alfalfa fields, and a dairy to nourish patients, according to Carol R. Byerly, author of GǣGood Tuberculosis Men: The Army Medical DepartmentG