General George Crook
General George Crook Chapter, NSDAR, was organized by Nelle Quarles Hoover in Prescott, Arizona, in June 1927. The chapter bears the name of a man who was an Army officer, a U.S. Military Academy graduate and a Civil War veteran. He was chosen to be the namesake for the DAR chapter in Prescott because he was descended from Revolutionary War patriots and had served as a General in the Prescott area.
Born in Ohio, Crook was raised in a rural area. His goal in life was to become a farmer. An Ohio congressman who had a West Point vacancy to fill gave Crook an interview and then chose him for the appointment. This was an unexpected, life-changing event for Crook. He was not a scholar by any means and did not excel at his studies while attending the U.S. Military Academy. However, he managed to graduate from West Point in 1850 and would go on to become a major general in the U.S. Army.
In 1871, General Crook was sent by President Ulysses S. Grant to safeguard settlers in the Arizona Territory and to establish and maintain better relations with the Indians. To accomplish these objectives, he needed to move troops and supplies from Fort Whipple to Fort Verde and then on to Fort Apache, a total of about 200 miles. Construction of a road for that purpose began in 1872 and was completed in 1873. When the railroad reached Holbrook, Arizona, and supplies could be easily moved to Fort Apache, there was no longer a military need for the road and it was turned over to civilian use. Today, remnants of his original road can be seen along Forest Road 300, the scenic Rim Road along the Mogollon Rim. Hikers, equestrians, and cyclists are familiar with the road known as the General Crook National Recreation Trail.
Crook was considered America’s most successful commander in the West. He was nicknamed the Gray Wolf by many native Americans because he was intelligent but always fair in his treatment of them. He showed a genuine sympathy for the plight of Indians and spent his last years speaking out against their unjust treatment. Crook died in Chicago in 1890 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
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