Fort Klamath was a military outpost near the western end of the

Oregon Trail The Oregon Trail was a east–west, large-wheeled wagon route and emigrant trail in the United States that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon. The eastern part of the Oregon Trail spanned part of what is now the state of Kans ...

, between

Crater Lake National Park Crater Lake National Park is an American national park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of ...

and

Upper Klamath Lake Upper Klamath Lake (sometimes called Klamath Lake) ( Klamath: ?ews, "lake" ) is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south-central Oregon in the United States. The largest body of fresh water by surface area in Oregon, it ...

in Klamath County,

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, United States. The Fort Klamath Site, about a mile southeast of the present community of

Fort Klamath, Oregon Fort Klamath is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community between Crater Lake National Park and Upper Klamath Lake in Klamath County, Oregon, Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The community is located about a mile northwest of Fort Kl ...

, is listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

History

Fort Klamath was established in 1863, and was an important

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

post during conflicts with the Klamath, Modoc, and Northern Paiute tribes. The fort consisted of more than 50 buildings, including a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

. Four Modoc men, led by

Kintpuash Kintpuash, also known as Kientpaush, Kientpoos, and Captain Jack (c. 1837 – October 3, 1873), was a chief of the Modoc tribe of California and Oregon. Kintpuash's name in the Modoc language meant 'Strikes the water brashly.' He led a ...

, were executed there in 1873 for the killing of General

Edward Canby Edward Richard Sprigg Canby (November 9, 1817 – April 11, 1873) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. In 1861–1862, Canby commanded the Department of New Mexico, defeating the Confederate Gen ...

. Their graves remain at the fort. A post office was opened in 1879. By the mid-1880s, the settlers in the area no longer needed protection, and in 1889 the decision was made to close the fort. After a harsh final winter with more than of snow, the troops of Company I of the 14th Infantry Regiment left the fort on June 23, 1890, and moved to

Vancouver Barracks Established in 1849, the Vancouver Barracks was the first U.S. Army base located in the Pacific Northwest. Built on a rise 20 feet (6 m) above the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) trading station Fort Vancouver. Its buildings were formed in a line adjac ...

Fort Klamath Museum

An parcel within the fort area is maintained as a park and museum by Klamath County, Oregon. The Fort Klamath Museum is housed in a modern structure designed after the fort's guardhouse and standing in the original guardhouse location. The Fort Klamath site was added to the

in 1971.

References

External links

Klamath County Museums
Klamath Closed installations of the United States Army Military and war museums in Oregon Museums in Klamath County, Oregon National Register of Historic Places in Klamath County, Oregon Klamath Oregon in the American Civil War 1863 establishments in Oregon 1890 disestablishments in Oregon Klamath Snake War {{US-mil-hist-stub

History

Fort Klamath Museum

See also

References

External links