Fort Bonneville (1) (1832-1836) - Established in 1832 as an independent fur trading post by Captain Benjamin L.E. Bonneville, (Cullum 155), while on leave of absence from the U.S. Army. Named after Captain Bonneville. Periodically occupied until 1836 and abandoned in 1836. Also known as Fort Nonsense.
Fort Bonneville Site with Two Markers.
History
Captain Bonneville began his expedition at Fort Osage in Missouri on 1 May 1832 following what became the Oregon Trail, arriving at Green River in August 1832. Captain Bonneville's expedition consisted of 110 men and 28 wagons and it was an experiment in taking wagons over the Continental Divide for the first time. The fort was established on Horse Creek and built as a 80' square stockade with two blockhouses in diagonal corners. After completing the fort they moved from it to a series of fur trading rendezvous sites, returning only sporadically to the fort. The post was finally abandoned in 1836 when Captain Bonneville returned to his military posting after seriously overstaying his 26 month leave of absence.
Current Status
An undeveloped site that has had some archaeological remains and a Wyoming State Marker.
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 855.
National Register Of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form - Fort Bonneville, Pdf.
