Category:Fort Hill
Fort Hill (1855-1866) During the Rogue River Indian War (1855-1856) Willamette Valley settlers built a blockhouse in Polk County northeast of Valley Junction on the Grande Ronde Indian Agency to keep the relocated tribes on the agency and settlers out. Initially named Fort Hill the name was changed to Fort Yamhill on 30 Aug 1856 when it was garrisoned by federal troops.
At its peak, Fort Yamhill housed two or three companies for a total of about 250 men. Two similar outposts were created to watch over Indian agencies: Fort Hoskins in Benton County, and Fort Umpqua in Southern Oregon. Civil War General Philip H. Sheridan, then a 2nd Lieutenant, was stationed at Fort Yamhill and supervised the construction of some buildings. Fort Yamhill was abandoned and disassembled in 1866. The buildings were auctioned off and the land sold to private interests. The blockhouse was removed in 1911 and now resides in Dayton City Park, Dayton, Oregon.
The remains of the fort were recently rediscovered and preparations are underway to open a 55 acre Fort Yamhill State Heritage site in the spring of 2006 to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the fort's establishment. A 1991 survey revealed the location of at least 24 major buildings that once occupied the site.
- sentry box
- officers’ quarters
- barracks
- carpenter's shop
- blacksmith shop
- hospital
- cook houses
- stables
- barn
- sutler’s store
- laundress quarters
- more.
Location: About 2 miles north of Spirit Mountain Casino in Polk County, Oregon.
- Yahoo Map of area
- Latitude: 45.06639
- Longitude: -123.56417
- Elevation: 602
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