Fort Buenaventura facts for kids
Fort Buenaventura was the very first lasting settlement built by people of European descent in the Great Basin area. It is located in west Ogden, Utah, in the United States.
A fur trapper named Miles Goodyear built the fort in 1846, right next to the Weber River. In 1847, Mormon settlers bought the fort and the land around it. They first called it Brownsville, but later changed the name to Ogden. The fort was left empty in 1850 because of floods from the river.
Years later, in 1980, a new park called Fort Buenaventura State Park opened. This park has a copy of the original fort built in the same spot. In 2002, Weber County took over the park. Today, the county runs the fort and its fun outdoor areas.
Fort Buenaventura was the first permanent settlement in the Great Basin built by people of European background. A fur trapper named Miles Goodyear and his business partner, Captain Wells, started it in 1846.
The fort was built near a bend in the Weber River. It was a busy trading post where trappers and travelers could buy and sell goods. The original fort was about a mile west-southwest of where the Ogden city building is today.
In November 1847, Mormon settlers arrived and bought Fort Buenaventura. They paid $1,950 for the fort and all the land around it. The settlers first renamed the area Brownsville. Later, they changed the name to Ogden, honoring Peter Skene Ogden. He was another trapper who hunted beaver in the Weber Valley.
The fort was abandoned in 1850 because of heavy flooding. The settlers then built a new fort, called Brown's Fort, a short distance away. One cabin from the original Fort Buenaventura was saved. You can still see this cabin today at the Weber County Daughters of Utah Pioneers museum. It is known as the "Miles Goodyear Cabin."
The place where the first Fort Buenaventura stood is now a park that covers about 84 acres. This park includes a copy of the original fort. It officially opened as a Utah State Park in October 1980.
Before the replica fort was built, archaeologists studied the area. In the fall of 1979, Dr. Evan DeBloois led an archaeological excavation. His team dug up parts of the old wooden fence, called a stockade. This helped them figure out how big the original fort was.
The replica fort was built using old-fashioned methods. For example, workers used special "mortise and tenon" joints, just like the original builders. They tried to make the new fort look as much like the old one as possible. However, the original fort was made from cottonwood trees. The replica was built using quaking aspen and lodgepole pine trees instead.
In 2000, a strong windstorm damaged parts of the replica fort. These damaged sections had to be rebuilt using stronger materials.
In 2002, the state of Utah stopped owning the park because of budget cuts. Weber County then took over the park. The park is located at 2450 "A" Avenue in Ogden. During the summer, the county park offers fun activities like camping, canoeing, and places for meetings.
