Fort Yamhill

Fort Yamhill (1855-1866) Established 26 Mar 1856 during the Rogue River Indian War by Lt. William B. Hazen to watch over Indian tribes relocated from southern Oregon. Named after the nearby South Fork of the Yamhill river. Abandoned after the U.S. Civil War in 1866.

History of
The fort was sited and construction was begun by Lt. William B. Hazen 26 Mar 1856. The site chosen overlooked the Grand Ronde Indian Agency and the relocated tribes. The fort was positioned just west of a demarcation line drawn earlier to separate the settlers and the Indians and along the military road to the coast. The post also adjoined the Killimuck Indian trail so access could be controlled. Civil War General Philip H. Sheridan, then a 2nd Lieutenant, joined Lt. Hazen at Fort Yamhill 25 Apr 1857 and, as quartermaster, supervised the completion of the fort. Sheridan remained at the fort until the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in 1861 except for a 9-month assignment to Fort Hoskins.

At its peak, Fort Yamhill housed two or three companies for a total of about 250 men. Two similar outposts were created to watch over Indian agencies: Fort Hoskins in Benton County, and Fort Umpqua across from Winchester Bay, Oregon. Fort Yamhill was abandoned and disassembled in 1866. The buildings were auctioned off and the land sold to private interests on 27 Aug 1866. The original blockhouse was removed in 1911 and now resides in Dayton City Park, Dayton, Oregon.

Current Status
The remains of the fort were rediscovered and a 55 acre Fort Yamhill State Heritage Area was open to the public 31 Jul 2006. The remains of a single building, thought to be Lt. Sheridan's quarters, survived on the site but was moved and later incorporated into another building. That building will be restored to the original configuration and will be moved back to the original location on officers row. Click here to see the Sheridan House over the years. It is unclear if the original blockhouse, now in Dayton, will be restored to the original location.

A 2015 visit found the exterior of the officer's quarters building mostly restored with only the rear wall without siding. The original roof line has been restored along with the front entrance and porch. The interior restoration is not complete and the interior is not open to the public. Several interior displays can be viewed through the windows. The building has not yet been moved back to the original location and remains at the base of the hill.

A 1991 survey revealed the location of at least 24 major buildings that once occupied the site including:

Dr. David Brauner from the Oregon State University Anthropology Department is conducting a multi-year excavation project on the site. His current focus is on the six buildings that made up the officer's quarters on the East side of the post and on the post kitchen located near the center of the post. The kitchen excavation is viewable from the newly constructed path through the post. In 2007 the excavations expanded to include other buildings on the post. Follow this link to view pictures of the excavation. Sources:
 * , page 138
 * , page 133
 * , page 670
 * , page 375
 * Oregon Military History, Forts-Camps-Roads
 * Statesman Journal 13 Aug 2005
 * Statesman Journal 28 Jul 2006

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Yamhill
 * Wikipedia - Fort Yamhill
 * Fort Yamhill Park
 * USGS - Fort Yamhill

Publications:
 * Cooper, Edward S., William Babcock Hazen: The Best Hated Man, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press (October 2005), ISBN-10:0838640893, ISBN-13:978-0838640890, page 31-32
 * Bensell, Royal A., Gunter Barth ed., All Quiet on the Yamhill: The Civil War in Oregon, University of Oregon Books, Eugene, Oregon, 1959

Picture Gallery

 * Excavation pictures
 * Sheridan House pictures
 * Original blockhouse pictures