Edgar Rice Burroughs 7th Cavalry Historical Monument 2025 Dedication Ceremony in Willcox, Arizona

Tarzan-creator and author Edgar Rice Burroughs served in the 7th U.S. Cavalry at Fort Grant, Arizona Territory, in 1896 and 1897. His experiences as a cavalryman in the U.S. Army had an impact on his fiction, beginning with his first novel, “A Princess of Mars.” To honor his time in the Army at Fort Grant with 7th Cavalry troopers, Buffalo Soldiers, and Apache Scouts, an historical monument was formally dedicated on September 27, 2025 – just four weeks after his 150th birthday (September 1) – outside the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot (also the location of city hall) in Willcox, Arizona. It was at this spot that ERB arrived in Arizona on May 22, 1896; stayed overnight at the nearby Willcox House hotel; and then took the stage to Fort Grant the next day.
This monument is the culmination of a two-year effort by Frank Puncer, head of the Apache Devils chapter of the nonprofit society The Burroughs Bibliophiles, and Kathy Klump, president of the Sulphur Springs Valley Historical Society. This video, recorded by Ahmed Khocht and offered to the Bibliophiles for online posting, covers the entire dedication ceremony, with Frank Puncer as the master of ceremonies. Highlights include a welcome by the mayor of Willcox and addresses by ERB’s great-granddaughters Jane Burroughs and Kate Bonnaud, who also helped to unveil the monument.