Fort Fillmore

Fort Fillmore was a military outpost near Mesilla in southwestern New Mexico constructed with adobe walls and wooden posts. The installation sat on sand hills above the Rio Grande, positioned roughly one mile from the river.

Colonel Edwin Vose Sumner founded this outpost in 1851 to protect settlers and merchants traveling the route between El Paso and California. It served as a strategic position during the period of westward expansion in the mid-1800s.

The fort was built by military personnel working alongside local laborers who used traditional adobe brick methods common to the region. This building approach reflects how remote outposts adapted to available materials and local knowledge.

The site is located on Fort Fillmore Road about 2 kilometers east of New Mexico State Route 478 and marked with a state historical sign. Access is straightforward once you follow local road markers and signs to the location.

After its military use ended, plans to convert the site into a state park never materialized. Today the grounds are covered with a pecan tree grove, creating an unexpected green canopy in the otherwise dry landscape.

Location: New Mexico

GPS coordinates: 32.25780,-106.74300

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:01