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US Army Major-General Henry Ware Lawton (1843-1899) built this residence and citrus ranch in the town of Redlands, CA, founded in 1888. He intended to retire here, near his brother, after 30 years of military service. Lawton volunteered in the Army during the Civil War's first year as a 17-year-old private, and, like many, received rapid brevet promotion (to the rank of colonel) due to valor. He was the leader of a carefully selected squad that tracked and captured Geronimo and his followers in Mexico in 1886. (At times, Lawton's Mexican pursuit was done at 9,000-10,000-foot altitudes in the Sierra Madre, with little water, and temperatures reaching 120 degrees.) A veteran of the Battle of San Juan Hill, he was the only American general to die during the Spanish-American War, leading his troops at the Battle of San Mateo, 12/18/1899, in the Philippines. Thirteen from his two squadrons of cavalry and three battalions of infantry were killed here, including Lawton and one of his staff lieutenants, were killed. He was, at the time, second in command of all US Army forces in the Philippines. (See Mark J. Denger, "Major-General Henry Ware Lawton, U.S. Volunteers,"Accessed 12/19/2013.) On 02/09/1900, the Army named a new Army base in Seattle, WA, "Fort Lawton," in his honor. (This base would later become Discovery Park for the City of Seattle.)

A trophy room in Craig Crest held Indian rugs and blankets, baskets and other objects.

PCAD id: 18943