Fort Lapwai (1862–1884), was a

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

fort in present-day

Lapwai Lapwai is a city in the Northwestern United States, northwest United States, in Nez Perce County, Idaho, Nez Perce County, Idaho. Its population was 1,137 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and it is the seat of government of the Nez Pe ...

in north central Idaho, United States. On the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Nez Perce County, it was originally called

Camp Lapwai Camp Lapwai was a United States Army encampment in Washington Territory, present-day Idaho. It was established by Company E, 1st Regiment Washington Territory Volunteer Infantry. After being mustered in at Alcatraz at San Francisco, California, th ...

until 1863. East of Lewiston, it was located on the west bank of Lapwai Creek, three miles (5 km) above where it joins the Clearwater River at the state's first settlement, Lapwai Mission Station (now Spalding), built in 1836 by Henry Spalding. It is part of the multi-site Nez Perce National Historical Park. The word "Lapwai" means place of the

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

, as the area had thousands in early summer in earlier years.

History

Camp Lapwai was established by Major Jacob S. Rinearson,

1st Oregon Cavalry The First Regiment Oregon volunteer Cavalry was a volunteer regiment in United States service Union army that was formed in response to the American Civil War. With men recruited in Oregon and some recruited in surrounding states, the regiment p ...

by order of Brigadier General Benjamin Alvord. The post was established to prevent both the increasing numbers of white settlers from attempting to encroach on Nez Perce lands and the Nez Perce from retaliating. Company E

1st Regiment Washington Territory Volunteer Infantry The 1st Regiment of Washington Territory Volunteer Infantry (or 1st Washington Territory Volunteers) was a unit of infantry raised by the Washington Territory for service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Under Colonel J ...

recently mustered in at Alcatraz, were ordered on October 19, 1862 to Camp Lapwai near the

Nez Perce Agency Nez may refer to: People * Nez (singer) (born 1979), Turkish singer and dancer Nezihe Kalkan * Nez, pseudonym of a member of the English alt-rock band Heavy Stereo * Nez & Rio, an American record production team * Grace Henderson Nez (1913–2006) ...

, where they were to build the encampment. Company "F", 1st Oregon Volunteer Cavalry Regiment joined them at the post in November 1862. It was renamed Fort Lapwai in 1863, in what would become bounds of the

Idaho Territory The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as Idaho. History 1860s The territory w ...

when it was created in March. It was briefly unoccupied in 1866 at the end of the Civil War, when the Volunteer regiments were disbanded and before sufficient Federal troops were available to garrison it. Reoccupied again that November it was only unoccupied again between July and November 1867. It was finally decommissioned on June 5, 1884, and turned over to the Indian Service. The Northern Idaho Indian Agency moved to the site in 1904 and several original structures remain. Fort Lapwai 1862-1885, photos
/ref> A tuberculosis sanatorium (and

preventorium A preventorium was an institution or building for patients infected with tuberculosis who did not yet have an active form of the disease. Popular in the early 20th century, preventoria were designed to isolate these patients from uninfected indivi ...

) was established at the fort site in 1907 and operated until 1944. The village of

was incorporated in 1911, with a model rural school.

Garrisons

* Company E,

October, 1862 - October, 1864 * Company "F", 1st Oregon Cavalry Regiment, November, 1862 - May, 1865.

References

Washington (state) in the American Civil War Idaho in the American Civil War Closed installations of the United States Army

Buildings and structures in Nez Perce County, Idaho Nez Perce National Historical Park Protected areas of Nez Perce County, Idaho 1862 establishments in Washington Territory

History

Garrisons

See also

References

External links