Fort Simcoe

Fort Simcoe (1856-1859) - Established on 8 Aug 1856 by Major Robert Seldon Garnett and Companies G and F of the 9th U.S. Infantry Regiment. The fort was located at the "bubbling spring" on Toppenish Creek near the site of Haller's defeat, Yakima County, Washington. Major Garnett was the first commander at Fort Simcoe. Fort Simcoe drawing, 1858 (University of Washington Archive) Fort Simcoe Blockhouse (University of Washington Archive) Fort Simcoe Commander's Residence (University of Washington Archive) Fort Simcoe History Fort Simcoe was designed by architect Louis Scholl who also designed Fort Dalles. It had a blockhouses at each corner of the post but no stockade, each blockhouse was a standalone fortification. A 420' square parade ground was surrounded by log and frame barracks and service buildings within the boundaries defined by the blockhouses. The fort was used as the Yakima Indian Agency beginning in 1859 after the garrison transferred to Fort Colville. It was abandoned in 1923. The state leased the state park property from the Yakima Nation in 1953. In 1956, Fort Simcoe became a state park, and in 1974 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Fort Simcoe Commanders List (edit list) Assumed Relieved Rank Name Cullum Notes 1856-08 1856-10 Major Garnett, Robert S. 1085 1856-11 1857-04 Captain Woodruff, Dickinson N/A 1857-05 1858-09 Major Garnett, Robert S. 1085 1858-10 1859-05 Captain Archer, James N/A Dates are formatted in yyyy-mm-dd to sort correctly. The Cullum Number is the graduation order from the United States Military Academy by year and class rank and links to a page for the officer on the website version of the Cullum Register. Listings without a Cullum Number indicate that the person was not a graduate of the United States Military Academy. Current Status Must See! The fort has been restored and contains three original officers quarters (1857-1858), one original blockhouses (1856), and the original Commandant's House (1857-1858). In addition to the five original buildings, four buildings have been replicated including a barracks, the guardhouse and two blockhouses. The four original officer's quarters have period furnishings. This is a fine example of the 1850s Washington Indian wars period forts and is probably the most complete. The park is located some 30 miles to the west of Toppenish in Yakima County on the Yakima Indian Reservation. Access from I-82 or US 97 at Toppenish. The grounds are open daily from April 1 to October 1 but the restored officers quarters with interior furnishing and the interpretive center are currently open to the public 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Tours the rest of the year may be made by appointment, call 509-874-2372. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: White Swan, Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington (30 miles west of Toppenish, Yakima County, Washington) Maps & Images Lat: 46.34277 Long: -120.83796 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 1,401' Sources: Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 174 Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 187 Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 835-836 Links: North American Forts - Fort Simcoe Fort Simcoe State Park Visited: 22 Aug 2016