Checking Out The Geronimo Surrender Monument on Highway 80 in Arizona 

I'm always touched by the sad look on Geronimo's face. I cannot imagine the grief he carried.

When I read stories like this it brings me back to early childhood at the movies. The Blue Coat soldiers would come charging in on their horses and annihilate the Native Americans who had previously raided a wagon train all the kids would be shouting and screaming and cheering. I remember sitting there feeling and knowing something wasn't right with this Movie ending. It took decades to figure out what was wrong... The Native Americans lived with the land... we live off the land... and use it up until there isn't anything left... say what you will, everyone has an opinion. In my eyes, we treated Geronimo unfairly right from Square One... SMH

That monument's rockwork includes several metates and other Native American grinding stones, if one looks at the larger pieces with attention-to-detail. Thanks for the video, inspires me to visit these places now that I've retired.

Live near here. Have seen this as I pass by on the way to Douglas,AZ. I might of stopped years ago. I will make a point to stop again. We have so much history in this area. I am glad to call it home.

I can imagine what was in that man's heart when he had to surrender. Fighting a solitary fight for his people who probably had been let down by their own chiefs. It takes much courage to stand for what is right and much strength. He may have regretted later his surrender, but when he did it maybe he was simply exhausted and hopeless... the human condition... His fight was not in vain, it serves as an inspiration for us today. Doing what is right is more important than the end result.

I spent my first night in Arizona sleeping near the base of that monument in August 1969. My buddies and I arrived well after midnight, blew up our air mattresses and slept in our sleeping bags. With only a rare security light in the distance I had never seen so many stars in my life. I have now lived in Arizona, not too far from that location, for 48 years. It was a good introduction to the state. My sons and I have also ridden muleback to the actual location of the surrender and into Skeleton Canyon, with the rancher's permission. A lot of history in that area.

I live in AZ, and I'm a history buff. This place is great for history.

This man should have NEVER been a prisoner of anything, He should have lived free and enjoy his senior years.

RU-vid Creator on the rise brought me here, and I'm so glad! My 3rd great grandfather came to Arizona with the Army to help catch Geronimo. I still don't know how I feel about it 🥺 He stayed here and married a descendant of Brigham Young that traveled the Morman trail, and homestead the Showlow Pinetop area.

You’re always thorough and concise - thanks bro!

So strange, I was just looking at this site and the actual surrender site on my Arizona atlas and planning a trip there. I live in Tucson and have wanted to see these sites and Paramore Crater that’s in the area. Thanks for the preview! 👍🏼

I was Posted on Ft. Sill twice. I've paid my respects many times at Geronimo's grave.

I enjoy your videos and learn from each one - please keep them coming!

I just accidentally stumbled on this video. I have just recently been working on a Michael Martin Murphy song: "Geromino's Cadillac". There are 2 versions Murphy recorded - his first being my chosen favorite. It's a heartfelt song....I think Geromino was given a Cadillac automobile....there is a photo of him sitting in it. Thanks for posting this. Check Martin Murphy's song. 👍 (I'm a musician having taken up performing folk music)

Geronimo was also the best guerilla fighter in American history. If you read the history about him you can come to understand the man somewhat.

Very informative, thank you for doing all these. Blessings!

I love the history of Native Americans, and particularly the story of Geronimo. Thank you, Steve, for this peek at that history and keep up the good work. Love all of your videos as well, I learn something from all of them!

Geronimo was a badass

Fascinating history. Thank you!

I hunted many, many bad guys over my time as a border patrol agent through skeleton canyon and I have visited the actual surrender site many times at the ranch near the mouth of the canyon. The entire Peloncillo mountain range is a mysterious place and sometimes scary as hell. We still honor the traditions of the chiracahua Apache by mantracking the same way they did in their prime. When I retired, I knew I’d never experience such a unique place again. All I have left is the pictures and memories. Did you guys do a video on the ‘Clanton trail’, ‘Old bridge’, and Skeleton canyon? Definitely a good addition to the Geronimo legend.

I did a research paper presentation on General Miles when I was active duty. My research concluded that Miles was a controversial man. He was an arrogant, stubborn, brutal milititarist who had no mercy or compassion toward Native Americans nor toward people of mixed color or races. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt worshipped the man, and served alongside the General and the the Rough Riders. The Riders decimated whole innocent families both Native Americans here in the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean (namely Puerto Rico) during the Spanish-American War. Both General, Colonel, and Rough Riders abused their position and status as a license to kill. If both these men were alive today, they would be facing a War Tribunal and be sentenced to death by execution.

Excellent! These videos keep getting better and better all the time. Thank you

Excellent job on this video, at least in my opinion. Full of information, short and succinct. Well done.

I am reading Geronimo's autobiography and I so admire this great man. What the white settler's did to ALL Native Americans is despicable.

RIP Geronimo. As always the US Government's treatment of the indigenous natives was horrible. I've been to Apache Junction may times but didn't know there was an Apache, AZ

I was stationed at Fort Sam Houston, TX and the Quadrangle where Geronimo was held prisoner for a short time. I remember visiting Fort Sill, Oklahoma and was at the museum and someone said Geronimo was buried nearby. I said what are we doing here....let's visit Geronimo's grave and we did.

Goyahkla, "One Who Yawns." is his actual name.

Geronimo was imprisoned at Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Fl. and one of his wives is buried in the cematary at Pensacola Naval Air Station .

I'm related to Geronimo. My grandmother, dad's side, has been written up in several newspapers as a survivor before she passed. On my mother's side her tribe was a short distance from Geronimo's tribe. I have some uncles from mom's side that used to ride with the James Gang. The West was pretty crazy.

That survey marker is a bench mark. These are stations where elevation (height above sea level) is recorded from visual levelling. These are not used so much now as high precision gps equipment can be used to establish elevations.

Married with three kids at 22 years old and widowed. Interesting.... didn't know that. 👍. When I was a young artillery officer at Ft. Sill, they used to have his Colt .45 Peacekeeper revolver on display outside the jail cell where he was kept locked up (it's no longer on display there).

I agree Never surrender to anything in this life. Fight till the end even if your life ends with it.

Geronimo was a true American Indian , he stood up for wanting to live his way of life he was like a caged animal that should of been freed like any other human being. May his spirit fly high in the sky

It took an entire U.S. Cavalry regiment two years to finally catch up with and force Geronimo and some 20 members of his band to surrender. Geronimo later visited New York and Washington, D.C. where he was treated as a celebrity.

I have been to Geronimo’s grave at Ft Sill, OK several times. He and his family are there and is very humbling.

Awesome video! Have been to Geronimo's grave site & Quanah Parker's grave site on Fort Sill, OK. The Apache Cemetery where Geronimo is at is great to explore. Quanah is buried with his sister and mother, Cynthia Ann Parker

My husband and I went for a drive and happened to see this on a map. Glad we stopped. Thanks for sharing!

The name Geronimo is so famous that my sister and I when we were little kids (8 and I was 6) we used to play a war game and our call when we went for battle was to say out loud “GERONIMO”. This happened in a very small lake town in Guatemala, so yes, a very famous name.

This is so heartbreaking, Geronimo was a great Native American.

Never knew of this monument.

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍

If he could, I think Geronimo would tell us NOT to ever surrender our arms to the government !

Thanks again for the video.

A great medicine man who would’ve never been caught because he had some of the greatest visions that Enabled him to survive.RIP great Warrior😔

Geronimo was cherakawa more specifically badonkahay and his body was found in a bar ditch alongside the road he had laid there for 3 days Geronimo as a Great hero of the people his story should be told correctly I love you videos man keep up the good work

My family still is fabulous. Thanks

Good catch on the memorial errors. This takes us back to a time in which neither we nor the Native Americans can take any pride. Personally, I blame many of the misconcept5ions we have of the period on Hollywood. Unfortunately, none of us can go back to make things right. All we can do is learn from it. Right now some of the lessons we could learn from the story of Geronimo would be of great value to our country.

My mother would tell me stories when I was small, my cousins on my mom and dad side lived in Tempe Arizona summer time was our VACATION to see Grandma and Grandpa (60's)

Sitting Bull would disagree as to who was the most famous native freedom fighter.

Thank you for you videos and content! Arizona

He fought against the United States, he was defending his home and his people. I hope no one ever decides to pull down his monument.

Interesting and I looked all over for Apache, AZ. Thanks for pointing it out.

Atleast he fought for what he believed

Thank you very much, such a sad ending to a true American’s life!

A great man. Sadly didn't get to see his land..

Excellent historic video Mr. Sidetrack! 😀

Great man. Great warrior.

Rest in peace, geronimo.

Ft. Sill Oklahoma is where he was incarcerated. The jail cell has a "donut" circle worn in the stone floor from his running in circles.

We don't need a wall, we need Geronimo

It’s heart breaking

RIP. GERONIMO.

Excellent story, thank you

I've always wondered why they don't put monuments like this on the actual fucking site.

This video gives one a time to pause and reflect. Just a few simple lines do not in any way convey the time, the situation, the era, and that is sad, but at least our minds can continue to learn about this time, and people, and this place in History. I think that all Americans would do well to get better acquainted with every aspect of American History, and how far back in time it goes.

interesting fellow... end of life he stayed at a reservation with a minister and because of her he became a nominal Christian, got drunk, fell off his horse in the rain of all things, and died from hypothermia. I have a book who told the story of Geronimo, by a lady minister, friend of his. will try to find it... He was very unique.

Victory at last! Yippee, after reading Dee Brown's>>Bury my heart at Wounded Knee, I personally think rather a lot was lost as well in that era. Thanks Steve another greatly informative posting.

Sadly, like most native Americans he was a victim of brutal ethnic cleansing. A fate suffered by so many people before and since all over the world - even today.

i am a Native of Aotearoa or NZ , respect and love to this great man.

Nice one, thanks!

Geronimo came for a parlay and was ambushed by the Government."Trust The Government" but ask an Indian first is what they say.

I did my 8th grade history project on Geronimo . Because my dad is named Geronimo :) .

Interesting, I spent part of my military career at Ft. Sill and Ft. Huachuca.

All he wanted was to live in his native lands as you can see there is still nothing there. US government made him live in pensacola fla where a quarter of an acre cost about half million dollars.

I was just there on 3/27! Thanks for the history and clarifications. I enjoy your videos.

Good stuff. My mom and dad (both have passed) were from that part of Arizona.

The site of Goyaałé’s Greatest Regret.

I have always like him.I have a close connection to him. I never used his name when smokejumping.

Not all apaches surrendered. Some lived as mexican citizens and others still lived in the remote mountain ranges where mysterious campsites and native artifacts such as arrowheads, tools were found well into the 1940s

Sad, pathetic and incredibly disrespectful "monument" to a great Native American.

Part of him is buried at Ft Sill. His head is at Yale with the Skull And Bones Society, right beside Pancho Villas head.

Our brother’s bones are sitting at Yale University... In the tombs of (Skull & bones frat house) their disgusting acts of genocide! 🪓🪶🦬🪓🪶🦬🪓🪶🦬🪓🪶🦬🪓

One could argue that the reason for the inaccuracies on the Memorial Can be attributed to the old axiom that “The Victors Wright the History.”

An anecdote associated with the capture is that when riding back to Fort Bowie with Geronimo, they stopped somewhere near today's Portal (census designated place) and asked a widowed Cornish woman at a rundown homestead to feed them. She did with what little she had, beef and beans probably, and while she prepared the food the enlisted men raided her garden and ate every single watermelon she had raised. After the meal, Miles asked what they owed her and she replied that she wanted a dollar. Miles was a jerk so he only gave her fifty cents. Geronimo, probably to irritate Miles, reached in his bag and produced a silver peso (adobe dollar) which at that time was the same weight as a silver dollar and used interchangeably all through the southwest. The woman thanked Geronimo and gave him a big smile, but only gave Miles a cold look as they left.

Cool...I must go there. Did a fifth grade report on Geronimo back in 75.

You are very good with history!

Past Geronimo grave site when i was station at Fort Sill for Boot Camp back in 08 and it was pretty big grave site.

I find the bullet dents most entertaining.

Cheers Geronimo!!

I lived just up the road in Rodeo NM. I got a good laugh seeing the old stone dick monument again. RRR= Rodeo Radio Repair.

Not a prisoner of war. He was a Sergeant in the US Army.

The taco place in Safford overloads cheese, hundreds of ants living at the monument organized recovery effort, all the cheese etc. Was moving after 5 minutes

What does the survey marker have to do with the subject matter? Strange

Most historical markers: "Something happened here a long time ago and nothing has happened here since then".

well to be honest it was his land ,he was on right side .because he was settler ,invaders always stands on villain side . but apart from it . its a nice story to tell .thanks steve ❤

"Digger", the name of his favorite pony.

Geronimo is still famous ,General Nelson Miles,not so much

I wouldn't call him a villain.

👌 cool i m njoying Ur treks👣

Very cool!