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 as a fortification 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 Status
Much of the fort site has been overbuilt and none of the original buildings remain on the site. A Marker and rock remnants located on the south side of W 2nd Street near the intersection of Century Drive. The Bingham's original cabin was relocated to the Lagoon amusement park and can be seen there but there is an entrance fee.

See Also:
 * Mormon Fortifications

Sources:
 * , page 784.

Links:
 * North American Forts - Bingham's Fort
 * Bingham's Fort
 * Waymarking - Bingham's Fort Marker