Fort Taylor (Washington)
Encyclopedia
Fort Taylor, in Washington Territory
was a temporary Army post established early in August 1858, by Captain E. D. Keyes with a detachment of dragoons, during the Spokane – Coeur d'Alene – Paloos War. The fort was located on the south bank of the Snake River
at the mouth of the Tucannon River
. It was built of basalt rock gabions with a hexagonal wood blockhouse
, and included a ferry, consisting of a large flatboat
.
Fort Taylor was established to cover the Snake River
crossing point for the Army at the mouth of Tucannon River
near the Palouse River
. This fort was only used for six weeks in 1858 by Colonel
George Wright
as his Snake River crossing point for his force on August 18, 1858. After a few days he finished crossing for his campaign against the allied tribes to the north that ended with the Battles of Four Lakes and Spokane Plains. On October 1, 1858, Fort Taylor was abandoned, no further need of troops there were required.
Fort Taylor was named for Captain Oliver Hazard Perry Taylor, killed on May 17th,1858, while he served with Lt. Colonel Edward Steptoe
against the Spokanes, Coeur d'Alenes
, Palouse
, Cayuse
, and Yakima
s in the Battle of Pine Creek
.
The site of Fort Taylor is now underwater in Lake Herbert G. West
, beyond the mouth of the Tuccanon River, over 2 miles northwest of the town of Starbuck, Washington
, east of State Hwy 261.
Washington Territory
The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....
was a temporary Army post established early in August 1858, by Captain E. D. Keyes with a detachment of dragoons, during the Spokane – Coeur d'Alene – Paloos War. The fort was located on the south bank of the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
at the mouth of the Tucannon River
Tucannon River
The Tucannon River is a river in southeastern Washington state that flows from headwaters in the Blue Mountains to a confluence with the Snake River upstream from Lyons Ferry Park and the mouth of the Palouse River. The Tucannon itself drains and is long...
. It was built of basalt rock gabions with a hexagonal wood blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
, and included a ferry, consisting of a large flatboat
Flatboat
Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with Fil1800flatboat.jpgA flatboat is a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with (mostlyNOTE: "(parenthesized)" wordings in the quote below are notes added to...
.
Fort Taylor was established to cover the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
crossing point for the Army at the mouth of Tucannon River
Tucannon River
The Tucannon River is a river in southeastern Washington state that flows from headwaters in the Blue Mountains to a confluence with the Snake River upstream from Lyons Ferry Park and the mouth of the Palouse River. The Tucannon itself drains and is long...
near the Palouse River
Palouse River
The Palouse River is a tributary of the Snake River located in the U.S. states of Washington and Idaho. It flows for southwestwards, primarily through the Palouse region of southeastern Washington...
. This fort was only used for six weeks in 1858 by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
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:...
as his Snake River crossing point for his force on August 18, 1858. After a few days he finished crossing for his campaign against the allied tribes to the north that ended with the Battles of Four Lakes and Spokane Plains. On October 1, 1858, Fort Taylor was abandoned, no further need of troops there were required.
Fort Taylor was named for Captain Oliver Hazard Perry Taylor, killed on May 17th,1858, while he served with Lt. Colonel Edward Steptoe
Edward Steptoe
Edward Jenner Steptoe was an officer in the United States Army who served in the Mexican-American War and the Indian Wars. He is primarily remembered for his defeat at the Battle of Pine Creek during the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War. It was at Pine Creek where Steptoe and 164 men were ambushed...
against the Spokanes, Coeur d'Alenes
Coeur d'Alene Tribe
The Coeur d'Alene are a Native American people who lived in villages along the Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe, Clark Fork and Spokane Rivers; as well as sites on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Lake Pend Oreille and Hayden Lake, in what is now northern Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana.In...
, Palouse
Palus (tribe)
The Palus are a Sahaptin tribe recognized in the Treaty of 1855 with the Yakamas . A variant spelling is Palouse, which was the source of the name for the fertile prairie of Washington and Idaho.- Ethnography :...
, Cayuse
Cayuse
The Cayuse are a Native American tribe in the state of Oregon in the United States. The Cayuse tribe shares a reservation in northeastern Oregon with the Umatilla and the Walla Walla tribes as part of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation...
, and Yakima
Yakama
The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, or simply Yakama Nation , is a Native American group with nearly 10,000 enrolled members, living in Washington. Their reservation, along the Yakima River, covers an area of approximately 1.2 million acres...
s in the Battle of Pine Creek
Battle of Pine Creek
The Battle of Pine Creek, also known as the Battle of Tohotonimme and the Steptoe Fight, was a conflict between United States Army forces under Lt. Colonel Edward J. Steptoe and members of the Coeur d'Alene, Palouse and Paiute Native American tribes. It took place on May 17, 1858 near what is...
.
The site of Fort Taylor is now underwater in Lake Herbert G. West
Lake Herbert G. West
Lake Herbert G. West is a reservoir formed by the Lower Monumental Dam. It extends up the Snake River for 28 miles to the tailwater of Little Goose Dam...
, beyond the mouth of the Tuccanon River, over 2 miles northwest of the town of Starbuck, Washington
Starbuck, Washington
Starbuck is a town in Columbia County, Washington, United States. The population was 129 at the 2010 census.-History:Named for railroad official W. H. Starbuck, the town was originally a junction on the main line of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company. The town was platted in 1894, and...
, east of State Hwy 261.