Location: 4 miles north of Window Rock, Arizona Fort Defiance, Apache County, Arizona 35.740484, -109.073806
Historical Significance: Fort Defiance was established in September 18, 1851, by Colonel Edwin J. Sumner to create a military presence in the Mexican Cession in what later would be Arizona. In 1861, the fort was abandoned by the army due to the Civil War and was re-established in 1863 as Fort Canby. The Treaty of 1868 was signed at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, to allow members of the Navajo Nation to return to Arizona after a forced deportation known as The Long Walk. The fort was abandoned again, but was re‑established for the last time in 1870 when the first government school for the Navajos was started. After WWII, due to the fort’s proximity to the Navajo Nation capitol of Window Rock, the area emerged as a commercial and residential center with the post office, a medical center, school and trading center. The DAR Plaque was placed on a red sandstone column in front on the post office lawn.