Fort Steilacoom facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Steilacoom
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Silas Casey's Officer's Quarters
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| Location | Lakewood, Washington, U.S. |
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| Architect | A.V. Kautz |
| NRHP reference No. | 77001350 |
| Added to NRHP | November 11, 1977 |
Fort Steilacoom was a very important military base. The U.S. Army built it in 1849. It was located near Lake Steilacoom in what is now Washington.
This fort was one of the first military posts built by the U.S. north of the Columbia River. It was created because people were worried after a tragic event in 1847 at the Whitman Mission.
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A Time of Conflict
The Puget Sound War
In 1855, the local Nisqually Tribe felt very unhappy. They attacked white settlers in the area. This was because of the Treaty of Medicine Creek from the year before. The tribe was especially upset that their new reservation limited their traditional fishing areas.
Fort Steilacoom became the main base for the U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment. This was during a conflict known as the "Indian War" of 1855–56. During this time, a U.S. Army Colonel named Abram Benton Moses was killed.
Chief Leschi's Story
After the conflict, the governor, Isaac Stevens, put Chief Leschi of the Nisqually tribe on trial. He was accused of causing Moses' death during a fight in October 1855.
The U.S. Army believed Chief Leschi was a prisoner of war. They refused to carry out a death sentence at Fort Steilacoom. So, the local government passed a law allowing civilian officials to carry out the sentence. On February 19, 1858, Chief Leschi was put to death in what is now Lakewood.
Many years later, in 2004, Chief Leschi was officially cleared of the charges. This meant that people recognized the injustice of what had happened to him.
What Happened to the Fort?
From Military Base to Hospital
Fort Steilacoom stopped being a military base in 1868. Just a few years later, in 1871, the Washington Territory found a new use for it. The fort became a hospital for people needing mental health care. The old army buildings were used for patients and staff.
Today, Fort Steilacoom is known as Western State Hospital. It continues to serve the community as a place for mental health treatment.
Fort Steilacoom Today
Even though the fort changed, some parts of its history are still there. Four of the original small houses remain. They are kept safe as part of a special living museum. This museum helps people learn what life was like at the fort long ago.
There is also a cemetery at the site. It holds the graves of civilians who lived at the fort. Any military burials from the fort were moved to the San Francisco National Cemetery in the 1890s.
