Bingham's Fort
Bingham's Fort (1853-1856) - A Mormon settler fort established in 1853 in present day Ogden, Weber County, Utah. Named Bingham's Fort after Erastus Bingham. Abandoned in 1856.
History of Bingham's Fort![]() ![]() Established by Mormon settlers in 1853 at the direction of Brigham Young in present day Ogden, Utah. Brigham Young ordered the community to "fort up" in the face of a hostile Indian threat. Erastus Bingham was a Utah pioneer and Mormon bishop who was chosen to supervise the construction of the fort. The plan for the fort was to build a 12' high wall to create a protected community enclosing houses, businesses and even some pasture land. Two large gates, one on the east side and one on the west end were each large enough to drive a team through. Lots were laid out within the fort site and each family became responsible for constructing a section of the fort wall. When completed the wall measured 120 by 60 rods (1980' x 990') and enclosed some 45 acres. The walls of the fort were built with a rock foundation capped with mud, timber and woven willows. The wall was 8' wide at the base narrowing to 3' at the top. The fort was abandoned as a fortification in 1856 when a peace was declared but the walls were not taken down until 1888.
Current StatusMarker and rock remnants located on the south side of W 2nd Street near the intersection of Century Drive.
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Links: Visited: 5 Jul 2015
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