Fort Dalles
Encyclopedia
Fort Dalles was a United States Army
outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon
, in the United States
. Built when Oregon
was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans
. The post was first known as Camp and then Fort Drum.
. This Rifle Regiment established a military base at The Dalles on the Columbia River
. Built in 1850, the log fort was constructed under the supervision of Major Tucker. Prior to the arrival of federal troops, the location had been used as a post by the militia
of the Oregon Provisional Government under the command of Henry A. G. Lee
during the Cayuse War
and was named Fort Lee and Fort Wascopam. The post was built at the site of the former Wascopam Mission operated by the Methodist Mission
.
New buildings were built from 1856 to 1858 under the direction of the commander Captain Thomas Jordan at a cost of nearly $500,000. In 1858, the log fort was torn down and a new fort was constructed under the command of Colonel George Wright
. Wright was in command of the 9th Infantry. The site overlooked an encampment used by Lewis & Clark
in October 1805.
s Fort Dalles served as operational headquarters for the Army. The garrison had eight companies of troops assigned during this time. After these wars the post was downgraded to a quartermaster’s depot in 1861. A fire burned down the officer’s quarters in 1866. Fort Dalles was then abandoned in 1867.
quarters built in 1856 during the Yakima Wars, and the only remaining officer's house from that period. Exhibits include arrowhead
s, military and pioneer artifacts, period antiques and photographs, tools, weapons, saddles, and information about the fort.
The Anderson Homestead includes the 1895 Anderson House, which is a Swedish log house, a granary
and a barn
. Tours are included with admission to the museum.
There is also a building housing antique horse-drawn wagons and carriages, early automobiles and other vehicles.
The Fort Dalles Surgeon's Quarters is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
. It is considered one of Oregon's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture
.
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is the largest city and county seat of Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The name of the city comes from the French word dalle The Dalles is...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built when Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. The post was first known as Camp and then Fort Drum.
Construction
In the fall of 1849 United States Army troops arrived in the new Oregon TerritoryOregon Territory
The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...
. This Rifle Regiment established a military base at The Dalles on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. Built in 1850, the log fort was constructed under the supervision of Major Tucker. Prior to the arrival of federal troops, the location had been used as a post by the militia
Oregon Rifles
The Oregon Rifles was the first military force organized for the protection of Oregon Country in the northwest of North America. Shortly after the Whitman Massacre, Oregon Governor George Abernethy communicated to the legislature his concern about the seriousness of the conditions, and issued a...
of the Oregon Provisional Government under the command of Henry A. G. Lee
Henry A. G. Lee
Henry A. G. Lee was a soldier and politician in Oregon Country in the 1840s. A member of Virginia’s Lee family, he was part of the Fremont Expedition and commanded troops during the Cayuse War in what became the Oregon Territory...
during the Cayuse War
Cayuse War
The Cayuse War was an armed conflict that took place in the Northwestern United States from 1847 to 1855 between the Cayuse people of the region and the United States Government and local Euro-American settlers...
and was named Fort Lee and Fort Wascopam. The post was built at the site of the former Wascopam Mission operated by the Methodist Mission
Methodist Mission
The Methodist Mission was founded in Oregon Country in 1834 by the Reverend Jason Lee. The mission was started to educate the Native Americans in the Willamette Valley and grew into an important center for politics and economics in the early settlement period of Oregon.-Foundation:In 1831, several...
.
New buildings were built from 1856 to 1858 under the direction of the commander Captain Thomas Jordan at a cost of nearly $500,000. In 1858, the log fort was torn down and a new fort was constructed under the command of Colonel George Wright
George Wright (general)
George Wright was an American soldier who served in the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
. Wright was in command of the 9th Infantry. The site overlooked an encampment used by Lewis & Clark
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
in October 1805.
Operations
During the Yakima WarYakima War
The Yakima War was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama, a Sahaptian-speaking people on the Northwest Plateau, then Washington Territory and now the southern interior of Eastern Washington, from 1855 to 1858.- Naming :...
s Fort Dalles served as operational headquarters for the Army. The garrison had eight companies of troops assigned during this time. After these wars the post was downgraded to a quartermaster’s depot in 1861. A fire burned down the officer’s quarters in 1866. Fort Dalles was then abandoned in 1867.
Fort Dalles Museum
The Fort Dalles Museum is located in the surgeon’sSurgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
quarters built in 1856 during the Yakima Wars, and the only remaining officer's house from that period. Exhibits include arrowhead
Arrowhead
An arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
s, military and pioneer artifacts, period antiques and photographs, tools, weapons, saddles, and information about the fort.
The Anderson Homestead includes the 1895 Anderson House, which is a Swedish log house, a granary
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
and a barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
. Tours are included with admission to the museum.
There is also a building housing antique horse-drawn wagons and carriages, early automobiles and other vehicles.
The Fort Dalles Surgeon's Quarters is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. It is considered one of Oregon's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
.