Fort Spokane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Spokane
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Fort Spokane Entrance
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | Lincoln County, Washington |
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| Nearest city | Deer Meadows, Washington |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002621 |
| Added to NRHP | November 23, 1988 |
Fort Spokane was an important U.S. Army base in Lincoln County, Washington. It was built where the Columbia and Spokane rivers meet. The fort's main job was to help keep peace between the Colville and Spokane tribes on their reservations and new settlers moving into the area, especially near the growing city of Spokane.
Fort Spokane was last used in 1929. Today, it is part of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a special place with historical importance.
Contents
History of Fort Spokane
Why Fort Spokane Was Built
In the late 1800s, the U.S. Army placed soldiers in different spots along the Columbia River and other areas in Washington. Their goal was to help manage relations between Native American tribes like the Colville, Spokane, and Palouse peoples, and the increasing number of settlers.
Some of these early army camps were hard to supply with food and other necessities. Because of this, troops were moved around. Eventually, in 1880, a new, better-located camp was set up. This new camp became Fort Spokane.
Life at the Outpost
Fort Spokane was started in the fall of 1880 by Lt. Colonel Henry C. Merriam and the Second Infantry Regiment. It was first called Camp Spokane. In 1882, its name was officially changed to Fort Spokane. Over the years, different army groups, like the Fourth Infantry Regiment and the Sixteenth Infantry Regiment, were stationed there.
The fort was built in a smart location. It was at the meeting point of the Columbia River and the Spokane River. This spot was about 50 miles northwest of the city of Spokane. It was the last army frontier post built in the Northwest region.
By 1884, Fort Spokane had about 25 buildings. These included six barracks for soldiers, a schoolroom, an ice house, and a two-story office building. Eventually, the fort grew to have about 50 buildings. There were homes for officers, more barracks for enlisted soldiers, a hospital, a chapel, and a headquarters building. It also had a morgue, storage buildings, shops, stables for horses, and a store where soldiers could buy supplies.
The fort helped to bring together soldiers from older, smaller posts. It also acted as a buffer zone between the Native American reservations and the new settlers moving into the area.
Later Uses and Preservation
In 1898, the Spanish–American War began. The soldiers at Fort Spokane were sent to fight in the war, and the fort was no longer needed by the army. It was then given to the Colville Indian Agency.
From 1899 to 1914, Fort Spokane became a boarding school for Native American children. After that, for the next 15 years, it was used as a hospital for people with tuberculosis. The government finally stopped using the site in 1929.
In 1960, the National Park Service took over the Fort Spokane site. By then, only four of the original buildings from the fort remained. These four buildings and the land around them have been carefully preserved. They are now part of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. The buildings that have been saved include the stable from 1884, the powder magazine from 1888, the water reservoir from 1889, and the guard house from 1892.
Images for kids
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Fort Spokane School outside the Administration Building
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