Stubler keeps history alive

According to Fort Verde State Historic Park Manager Sheila Stubler, the history of the fort is in part a history of Arizona — a lens through which people can view the territory and state’s first decades.

“Through the preservation of Fort Verde, we’re able to tell the story of the early pioneers, the military, the miners and the Indian Scouts,” Stubler said. “Once you dive into history there’s no turning back, as everything seems to connect one way or another and link together.”

Stubler, who will celebrate 15 years as park manager in September, added that working at the fort has allowed her access to ways of storytelling that she had not known existed.

“Personally, memorizing dates and facts was not my forte during childhood, but after reframing my viewpoint on history we’ve tried to make history both fun and experiential for visitors and families alike,” Stubler said.

Professionally, Stubler continued, her efforts at Fort Verde have been an “experience like none other, as we’ve kept the fort open to the public and fully functioning, even through the tough times.”

According to Stubler, the work has been well worth it, as Fort Verde stands as one of the “best preserved” examples of an Indian Wars period fort in the west.

Four of its original adobe buildings still remain: The administration building and three homes along Officers’ Row.

As Stubler will tell you, however, the past is a living, breathing thing: Fort Verde does not sit in Camp Verde quietly. History is resurrected on a regular occasion, thanks to invested locals.

“We host reenactments throughout the year, conduct workshops, special events and outreach programs to libraries and school and provide families with a staging area where they can get dressed up in period-like clothing to experience what the early pioneers and military experienced,” Stubler explained.

This may be a banner year for the fort. On Dec. 16, Stubler and crew invited baseball players to come be part of the fun. Dressed in vintage gear, the Fort Excelsiors duked it out with the Bisbee Bees, playing the kind of game that “a man straight out of the 19th century would recognize.

“We’re trying to establish a Northern AZ vintage baseball league to carry on the traditional baseball game played by soldiers stationed at Fort Verde back in the 1880s,” Stubler said.

Like in past years, Stubler added that “each and every day” continues to be a new experience — from war reenactors, to baseball players, to people bringing in artifacts long thought missing.

“When you surround yourself with energetic, caring people who share the same mission, it’s easy to want to give back and to continue to strive to give our absolute best,” Stubler said.