Fort Supply (Utah Territory) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Supply
Ghost town
A conjectural sketch of Fort Supply
Fort Supply Location in Wyoming Show map of Wyoming Fort Supply Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Wyoming
County	Uinta
Settled	1853
Elevation	7,420 ft (2,260 m)

Fort Supply was an important fort built by Mormon pioneers in 1853. It was located in what was then called Green River County, Utah Territory, in the United States. The fort was created to help the Mormon settlers gain a stronger presence in the area. It also served as a place to share their beliefs with local Native Americans. Plus, it provided food and supplies for pioneers traveling to Salt Lake City.

Fort Supply was abandoned in 1857 during a conflict known as the Utah War. Today, the site of the old fort is near the town of Robertson, Wyoming. A special monument stands there to remember the settlement. It is part of Wyoming's Fort Bridger State Historic Site.

History of Fort Supply

Bridger Valley: A Busy Place

The area now known as the Bridger Valley was a popular spot. Native Americans and mountain men often gathered there in the early 1800s. Two mountain men, Jim Bridger and Louis Vasquez, built a trading post called Fort Bridger in the 1840s.

A few years later, Mormon pioneers settled Salt Lake City. This new city became the main settlement in the Utah Territory. The US Congress officially created the Utah Territory in 1850.

Growing Tensions in the Valley

The Utah Territorial government, led by Mormons, wanted to control the ferries on the Green River. These ferries were run by mountain men. The mountain men did not want to give up control. Also, Fort Bridger's trading business slowed down as Salt Lake City grew.

These changes caused disagreements between the Mormons and the mountain men. The Mormons believed the mountain men were trying to turn local Native Americans against them.

Conflict and Control

In other parts of the Utah Territory, relations with Native Americans became difficult. By the summer of 1853, a conflict called the Walker War had started. Because of this, trading with all Native Americans was made illegal. This included trade in the Bridger Valley.

However, illegal trade continued at Fort Bridger. In August 1853, a group of 150 men were sent to stop it. When they arrived, Jim Bridger had left. The group destroyed his alcohol supplies. Then they went to the Green River. There, they had conflicts with the mountain men who were illegally running ferries. They also took the mountain men's animals. After this, the group returned to Fort Bridger and stayed there for a short time. To keep control of the area, Mormon leaders decided to build a permanent settlement.

The Green River Mission Begins

First Attempt to Build the Fort

Church leaders in Salt Lake City asked Orson Hyde to start the "Green River Mission." The goal was to build a fort in the Bridger Valley. This mission aimed to teach the local Shoshone people about Mormon beliefs. It also helped the Mormons keep control of the area. And it provided supplies for pioneers traveling the last 100 miles to the Salt Lake Valley.

In October 1853, 39 young men were chosen for this mission. The first group left Salt Lake City on November 2, 1853. The second group left on November 25. By the time the second group arrived, the first group had already picked a spot for the fort. It was about 11 miles from Fort Bridger. They quickly started building a blockhouse.

After about two weeks, the blockhouse was finished. But winter had already arrived, so not much more could be built until spring. That first winter, the missionaries survived on supplies from Salt Lake City. They also learned the Shoshoni language from Elijah B. Ward, a mountain man who had become a Mormon, and his wife Sally.

When spring came, some missionaries met with the local Shoshone. This included Chief Washakie's group. However, not many Shoshone joined the church. In the spring, missionaries also planted crops and continued working on the fort. As the year went on, some missionaries became unhappy. They started leaving for Salt Lake City without permission. By July 1854, most of the fort and mission had been left. Only a small group stayed behind to harvest the crops.

Second Attempt to Build and Settle

In April 1855, new missionaries were called to return to the fort. This group, led by James S. Brown, arrived in May 1855. They began repairing the fort and planting crops. They also restarted their efforts with the Shoshone and had some success. In 1855, the church also bought Fort Bridger. Lewis Robinson was put in charge of it.

The crops grew well in 1855. But an early frost in September destroyed most of what had not been harvested. Food had to be carefully saved that winter. In 1856, church leaders asked 43 families from other settlements to join the missionaries at Fort Supply. This was to make the community stronger.

Around this time, leaders at Fort Supply received permission to establish a city. A place for "Supply City" was chosen about 3 miles north of the fort. The city plan was mapped out in June 1857. By the end of that summer, 15 or 16 homes had been built in the new city.

Utah War and the Fort's End

In 1857, a conflict called the Utah War began. President James Buchanan replaced Brigham Young as governor of the Utah Territory. Buchanan also sent 2,500 troops with the new governor, Alfred Cumming, to Utah.

As this army approached, Brigham Young declared martial law. He ordered that no federal troops should pass Fort Bridger and Fort Supply. By the fall of 1857, families and most missionaries at Fort Supply and Supply City were called back to Salt Lake City. The Utah militia, however, headed towards the Bridger Valley.

The militia and a few remaining men were told to use a scorched-earth policy. This meant burning anything the approaching army could use. Fort Supply was burned around midnight on October 3, 1857. After that, the group moved to Supply City and burned it too.

After the Utah War ended, some settlers wanted to return to Fort Supply and Supply City. But the land had become part of a military area when Fort Bridger became an official US military post. They asked Governor Cumming for help. He was sympathetic, but the US Secretary of War, John B. Floyd, would not allow it. Mormons did not return to the valley until the 1890s. This was when the military area was opened for new settlers. This new group of Mormons mostly settled in what is now Lyman, Wyoming.

What Fort Supply Looked Like

The first building at the fort was a blockhouse. It had four log sections joined at the corners. This created a two-story center room where a guard could watch from the second level.

By April 1856, the fort had a stockade that surrounded 10 acres of land. There were 25 homes inside. It also had a two-story building used as a courthouse and for other public events. The fort included many corrals, stockyards, and fenced fields. When the fort was burned, a man named Jesse W. Crosby was there. He said there were 100 or more log houses, a sawmill, a gristmill, and a threshing machine at the settlements.

Preserving the Fort Site

Monument at the former site of Fort Supply

The land where Fort Supply once stood was settled by John C. Bond. He officially received the land in 1902. In August 1920, a church historian named Andrew Jenson confirmed the exact location of the fort.

To celebrate Wyoming's 50th anniversary of statehood, a monument was placed at the site. It was dedicated on July 3, 1940. The monument is now maintained as a satellite site of Fort Bridger State Historic Site. You can visit it during the summer months when the roads are open.

Images for kids

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  Approximate locations of Fort Supply, Salt Lake City, and Fillmore (the territorial capital 1851–1856). The Utah Territory is shown in blue, with modern state boundaries shown for reference.