Fort Umpqua

(Did you mean a different Fort Umpqua)

Fort Umpqua (1856-1862) - Established 28 Jul 1856 by Capt. Joseph Stewart and men from the 3rd U.S. Artillery and named after the Umpqua River. The fort was abandoned 16 Jul 1862 per Special Order #23 issued by Col. Steinberger,Department of the Pacific, Fort Vancouver.

Fort Umpqua Marker at the mouth of the Umpqua River

Fort Umpqua Marker at the mouth of the Umpqua River
View of the site of Fort Umpqua across the mouth of the Umpqua River

View of the site of Fort Umpqua across the mouth of the Umpqua River

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History

Established after the Rogue River Indian War to help guard the Siletz Indian Reservation to the north. As many as 300 soldiers were assigned to the fort, which was built next to Umpqua City. The fort closed in 1862 when the troops were mustered to fight in the Civil War and the government auctioned off the buildings. The two-story 40-foot-by-40-foot log blockhouse was moved to Gardiner and was turned into a sawmill. Many of the other buildings were converted to civilian use or razed for salvage. The residents of Umpqua City moved away, and nature reclaimed the area.

Current Status

Unknown

Context

Location: Approximately 2 miles from the mouth of the Umpqua River
across from Reedsport in Douglas County, Oregon.
Lat: 43.703° Long: -124.168° Elevation: 30' Bing, Google, OldMapsOnline, USGS, OHM

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Sources:

Oregon Military History, Forts-Camps-Roads.
McArthur, Lewis A. & McArthur, Lewis L., Oregon Geographic Names, Oregon Historical Society Press; 7 edition (December 2003), 1073 pages, ISBN 0875952771, ISBN 978-0875952772, page 244.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1851687

Beckham, Stephen Dow, Lonely Outpost: The Army's Fort Umpqua, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Sept. 1969, SBN 87595-027-2.

Links:

North American Forts - Fort Umpqua

Publications:

Oregon Military History, Forts-Camps-Roads.

Fortification ID:

OR0171 - Fort Umpqua (Oregon 2)