Fort Crawford, first known as Cantonment at Uncompahgre, was a U.S. military post along the

Uncompahgre River The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 75 mi (121 km) long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at 12,215 ft (3723m) in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National ...

, south of Montrose in Montrose County, Colorado. It was built following the

Meeker Massacre Meeker Massacre, or Meeker Incident, White River War, Ute War, or the Ute Campaign), took place on September 29, 1879 in Colorado. Members of a band of Ute Indians ( Native Americans) attacked the Indian agency on their reservation, killing th ...

and operated from 1880 to 1891. A historical marker is located somewhat near the site of the fort, which is on private property.

History

The Ute people hunted on ancestral hunting grounds and foraged for food, but they were increasingly pushed off the best land by settling farmers. When

Nathan Meeker Nathan Cook Meeker (July 12, 1817 – September 30, 1879) was a 19th-century American journalist, homesteader, entrepreneur, and Indian agent for the federal government. He is noted for his founding in 1870 of the Union Colony, a cooperative a ...

became a White River Ute Indian agent in 1878, he tried to force them to change their way of life and become farmers. When he was unsuccessful, he asked for help from the U.S. Army. Chief Douglas and warriors from his band attacked Meeker, killing him and seven other agency members on September 29, 1879, in what was called

. There was also a following attack on the forces of Major

Thomas T. Thornburgh Thomas Tipton Thornburgh (1843–1879) was a career soldier, starting during the American Civil War when he enlisted with the Sixth East Tennessee Volunteers for the Union Army. Mid-war, he left the ranks to study at the United States Military Acad ...

, killing him and nine others. Area residents then demanded removal of the Utes. After violation of a treaty by the Utes and the Anglo-Americans, the Utes would not leave and the Cantonment at Uncompahgre was established in July 1880 on the west bank of the Uncompahgre River. The Utes were moved to a desolate Utah reservation the following year. The post was renamed in honor of Emmet Crawford, who died fighting

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ba ...

and the Apaches, in 1886. No longer necessary, the fort was deactivated in 1890. The buildings were sold and the land was made available for settlement. In 1966, the Chipeta Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society installed a marker by the site of the former fort.

Notes

References

External links

Historical marker
Fort Crawford {{Forts in Colorado

Crawford Crawford may refer to: Places Canada * Crawford Bay Airport, British Columbia * Crawford Lake Conservation Area, Ontario United Kingdom * Crawford, Lancashire, a small village near Rainford, Merseyside, England * Crawford, South Lanarkshire, a ...

1880 establishments in Colorado Buildings and structures in Montrose County, Colorado 1891 disestablishments in Colorado Military installations established in 1880 Military installations closed in 1891