Fort Klamath has roots as a Civil War Army post

Klamath Falls Herald and News

November 28, 2007

   The Fort Klamath frontier post was established during the Civil War in 1863 to protect travelers along the Applegate Trail near what is now the Oregon-California border. The Wood River Valley site was chosen because of its plentiful pasture, water and timber, according to accounts in “Klamath County History,” published by the Klamath County Historical Society. 

   Troops stayed in tents the first winter, which was extremely cold. A sawmill was established at the fort the following spring to produce lumber for needed buildings. More than 80 structures were in use at peak times of the fort’s existence. A 38-star American flag atop a 125-foot pole proved a welcoming sight to those approaching the fort. 

   Modoc War 

   Sixteen commanders served during the fort’s 27 years of operation. The biggest event during those years was the Modoc War. 

   It broke out after Congress established a large reservation in the Fort Klamath area for the Klamath Indians. Congress stipulated that the Modocs, led by Captain Jack, also live on the reservation. 

   The Modocs rebelled at the idea of moving from their Northern California home. When negotiations between the tribe and the U.S. government failed, some of the Modocs returned to their former location. 

   However, white settlers had claimed the land near Lost River . Fort Klamath troops were ordered to bring the Modocs back in November 1872, provoking the war and causing the resisting bands to take refuge in the Lava Beds near Tule Lake . The Lost River clash led to the bloody and financially costly six month war, with most of the action in the Lava Beds. 

   Captain Jack and three other Modocs were hanged in October 1873. They were initially buried near the fort’s parade grounds where grave markers still remain. More than 100 other Modocs were sent to an Oklahoma reservation. 

   More settlers 

   Historical accounts indicate the Klamaths were not warlike, and events at the fort settled down after the Modoc War. More settlers arrived and, as the area became more civilized, the need for the fort waned. Fort Klamath was all but abandoned on Aug. 9, 1889 , with only a few troops remaining to tend to the buildings. They were ordered to the Vancouver barracks in June 1890, with the fort site left in the care of custodian John Loosley. 

   The land went under state of Oregon control, and an increasing number of settlers established homes in what was called the town of Fort Klamath. They continued to use the fort site as a place for July Fourth celebrations, with the Klamath Indians joining in the festivities. 

   Today, the Fort Klamath Museum is on an 8-acre parcel at the site of the original fort. Historic artifacts are contained in a replica of the fort’s guardhouse. The museum is open to the public from June through September.

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