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 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. The fort has been restored and contains three officers quarters (1857 - 1858), one of four original blockhouses (1856), and the Commandant's House (1857 - 1858).
Commanders:
Current Status
In 1956, Fort Simcoe became a state park, and in 1974 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
|
{"selectable":false,"width":"500"} |
Location: White Swan, Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington (30 miles west of Toppenish, Yakima County, Washington) Maps & Images Lat: 46.342765 Long: -120.837958 |
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:
Visited: No
Picture Gallery
|
Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! |