Fort Klamath, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Fort Klamath was a military outpost near the western end of the Oregon Trail
, between Crater Lake National Park
and Upper Klamath Lake
in Klamath County
, Oregon
, United States
. The Fort Klamath Site, about a mile southeast of the present community of Fort Klamath, Oregon
, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
. Four Modoc men, led by Kintpuash, were executed there in 1873 for the killing of General Edward Canby
. 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 20 feet (6.1 m) of snow, the troops of Company I of the 14th Infantry Regiment left the fort on June 23, 1890, and moved to Vancouver Barracks.
The Fort Klamath site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1971.
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
, between Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is a United States National Park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake National Park is the sixth oldest national park in the United States and the only one in the state of Oregon...
and Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake
Upper Klamath Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake east of the Cascade Range in south central Oregon in the United States. The largest freshwater body in Oregon, it is approximately 20 mi long and 8 mi wide and extends northwest from the city of Klamath Falls...
in Klamath County
Klamath County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Fort Klamath Site, about a mile southeast of the present community of Fort Klamath, Oregon
Fort Klamath, Oregon
Fort Klamath was a military outpost near the western end of the Oregon Trail, between Crater Lake National Park and Upper Klamath Lake in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. The Fort Klamath Site, about a mile southeast of the present community of Fort Klamath, Oregon, is listed on the U.S...
, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
History
Fort Klamath was established in 1863, and was an important Army post during conflicts with the Klamath, Modoc, and Northern Paiute tribes. The fort consisted of more than 50 buildings, including a sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
. Four Modoc men, led by Kintpuash, were executed there in 1873 for the killing of General Edward Canby
Edward Canby
Edward Richard Sprigg Canby was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War, Reconstruction era, and the Indian Wars...
. 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 20 feet (6.1 m) of snow, the troops of Company I of the 14th Infantry Regiment left the fort on June 23, 1890, and moved to Vancouver Barracks.
Fort Klamath Museum
An 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) 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 National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1971.