Amerind Foundation – Dragoon, Arizona
Located in this remote area of Arizona is the Amerind Foundation Museum which is focused on promoting the knowledge and understanding of the Native Peoples of the Americas through research, education, and conservation. The Foundation was established in 1937 by William Shirley Fulton.
A Native of Connecticut he became interested in archaeology as a young man and made frequent trips to Arizona between 1906 and 1917. Throughout the 1920s Fulton regularly traveled west from his New England home, heading into the southwestern mountains, as well as the canyons and mesa country to explore archaeological sites.
It was on one of these trips that he heard of Texas Canyon. He traveled to the area and saw the rugged vistas and heard rumors of prehistoric agricultural villages. It so intrigued him that he purchased the property in 1930 and named it the FF Ranch which was later turned into the Amerind Foundation.
He built his home amid the boulder formations of Texas Canyon in 1931. he began excavating archaeological sites right on his property leading him to publish his first scholarly articles in 1934 and 1938, based on is work. He loved life and wanted to pass his knowledge on to future generations.
He created one of the finest private museum collections of ethnographic and archaeological materials anywhere. The years from 1937 witnessed the expansion of the Amerind facility as the Museum, Library, Art Gallery (primarily Mrs. Fulton’s contribution), laboratories, storage, workshops, and staff housing were constructed.
Although the Amerind, at this point, is no longer engaged in archaeological excavations, they contribute to the field by hosting 3-5 advanced seminars each year, bringing together archaeologists, anthropologists, and other scholars to discuss, debate, and synthesize work on various topics.
The Amerind Foundation’s 21,000 piece collection includes a cross-section of Native American ethnographic objects from the Western Hemisphere dating to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
The Fulton-Hayden Memorial Art Gallery & Library is home to a 22,000 volume collection including books and professional journals.
Hours
The Amerind Museum:
Tuesday through Sunday year-round,
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., (Arizona) Mountain Time.
(Closed Mondays and major holidays).
The Fulton-Hayden Memorial Art Gallery:
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m.
Location
The Amerind is located in Cochise County, one mile south of Interstate 10, only about an hour east of Tucson, between Benson and Willcox. We’re easy to find – just look for Dragoon Road exit, #318, and head south until you see mile marker 1 on one side of the road and the Amerind entrance on the other.
2100 N. Amerind Road,
Dragoon, AZ 85609
520-586-3666
Admission
Adults: $8.00
Seniors (60 and up): $7.00
College Student (with ID): $5.00
Youth 12-18: $5.00
Children under 12: Free
Group Rates: Available for tours and other groups of 8 or more, but only if pre-registered. $5.00/person Call 520.586.3666 to register.