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