Fort Morgan, first called Camp Tyler and Camp Wardwell, was established in the present-day city of Fort Morgan in

Morgan County, Colorado Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,111. The county seat is Fort Morgan. The county was named after old Fort Morgan, which in turn was named in honor of Colonel Christop ...

as a U.S. military post in 1864. It operated until 1868. There is a historical marker in a city park in remembrance of its history.

History

The station and military post, first called Camp Tyler, was established in 1859. It is estimated that the

Pike's Peak Gold Rush The Pike's Peak Gold Rush (later known as the Colorado Gold Rush) was the boom in gold prospecting and mining in the Pike's Peak Country of western Kansas Territory and southwestern Nebraska Territory of the United States that began in July 1858 ...

drew about 100,000 people to Colorado. The

South Platte Trail South Platte Trail was a historic trail that followed the southern side of South Platte River from Fort Kearny in Nebraska to Denver, Colorado. Plains Indians, such as the Cheyenne and the Arapaho, hunted in the lands around the South Platte Riv ...

was the safest route. In 1859, a branch of the trail away from the South Platte River was established in the wilderness near the present day city of Fort Morgan during the gold rush to reduce the length of the trip to Denver. Fort Morgan was established in the mid-1860s as a defensive measure against the threat of attack by Native Americans. The military post was also called Camp Wardwell. Made a permanent fort with adobe and sod buildings in July 1865, the fort was manned that year by Confederate prisoners of war, nicknamed "galvanized rebels", who had enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

rather than continue their fate as POWs. Stationed with the soldiers was Captain M. H. Slater of the

1st Colorado Cavalry Regiment The 1st Colorado Cavalry Regiment was formed in November 1862 by Territorial Governor John Evans, composed mostly of members of the 1st Colorado Infantry Regiment and of C and D Companies of the 2nd Colorado Infantry Regiment. It was formed bot ...

. The goal of the post was to protect travelers along the Overland Trail (South Platte Trail) as well as neighboring ranchers. It was renamed Fort Morgan in 1866 for Christopher Morgan, the commanding officer of the

1st Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry The 1st Illinois Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and Spanish–American War. Civil War Service Companies "A" to "G" of the 1st Illinois Volunteer Cavalry were mustered into ...

. He died January 20, 1866. The

Union Pacific Railway The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

was built in the area and began offering rail service, which made the fort unnecessary by May 18, 1868 when it was abandoned. A historical marker was established at the site of the fort at 229 Riverview Avenue by the Fort Morgan chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

References

{{Forts in Colorado Forts in Colorado Morgan County, Colorado