Geronimo in 1886.

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Geronimo, Spanish for Jerome, was called Goyathlay (one who yawns) to his native people. A medicine man and prophet of the Chiricahua Apache, Geronimo acquired notoriety through his opposition to the authorities in the late 19th century and by systematic and sensational advertising in the 1900's.

Born about 1834 at the headwaters of Gila River, New Mexico, near old Fort  Tulerosa, his father, Taklishim, was not a Chief. He became a warrior at a young age, but it was the slaughter of his family that turned him from a peaceful Indian into a bold warrior. Soon, he joined a fierce band of Apaches known as Chiricahuas and with them, took part in numerous raids in northern Mexico and across the border into U.S. territory which are now known as the states of New Mexico and Arizona. It was those Mexican adversaries that gave him the nickname of "Geronimo", the Spanish version of the name "Jerome".

Geronimo would fight through the decades to avoid living on a reservation, but as the last hold-out of the Apache, he was finally captured in 1886.

Also See:

Apache - The Fiercest Warriors in the Southwest

Geronimo - The Last Apache Holdout

Geronimo Photo Gallery

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