A U.S. military post was established in 1849 at Fort Graham. As the line of settlement moved westward, the need for the fort became less and troops were withdrawn in 1853. The original location of the fort lies in the Lake Whitney bed. When the lake was built, much of the ruins and rock were transported to a new site and used in the reconstruction of Old Fort Graham. A one-room rock building houses mementos of the early days of Whitney and other artifacts.