Fort Klamath

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

Fort Klamath
Klamath County, Oregon
Fort Klamath guard house
TypeMilitary base
Site information
Controlled byUnited States Army
Site history
Built1863
In use1863–1890
Materialswood
Battles/warsModoc Wars
Garrison information
Past
commanders		Edward Canby
Garrison14th Infantry Regiment
Fort Klamath Site
Nearest cityFort Klamath, Oregon
Coordinates42°41′31″N 121°58′20″W
Built1863
NRHP reference No.71000680[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 07, 1971

History

Fort Klamath was established in 1863, and was an important Army post during conflicts with the Klamath, Modoc, and Northern Paiute tribes.[2] The fort consisted of more than 50 buildings, including a sawmill. 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 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-acre (32,000 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 in 1971.[1]

See also

References
  1. Walton, Elisabeth (August 1971). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Fort Klamath Site" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  2. History of the Pacific Northwest: Oregon and Washington. North Pacific History Company. 1889. p. 649. Retrieved April 28, 2013. fort klamath history 1863.


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