Fort Simcoe

Fort Simcoe State Park
Washington State Park
Commandant's House
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	Yakima
Elevation	1,401 ft (427 m) [1]
Coordinates	46°20′34″N 120°50′13″W / 46.34278°N 120.83694°WCoordinates: 46°20′34″N 120°50′13″W / 46.34278°N 120.83694°W
Area	200 acres (81 ha)
U.S. Army Fort	1856-1859 [2]
- Indian agency	1859-1923 [2]
- State park	1956 [3]
Management	Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Location in the state of Washington
Website: Fort Simcoe State Park
Fort Simcoe State Park
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Fort Simcoe blockhouse, ca. 1930s (HABS archives)
Location	Yakima County, SW of Yakima on SR-220
Nearest city	Yakima, Washington
Built	1856
Architect	Robert Seldon Garnett; Louis Scholl
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP Reference #	74001994
Added to NRHP	June 27, 1974

Fort Simcoe was a United States Army fort erected in south-central Washington Territory to house troops sent to keep watch over local Indian tribes. The site and remaining buildings are preserved as Fort Simcoe State Park, located eight miles (13 km) west of modern White Swan, Washington, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.^[3]

History

The site was a meeting, trade and culture center for prehistoric tribes of Indigenous peoples of the Americas from areas all around the present state of Washington. Prior to 1850, the site was used as a trade center and campground for the various bands of Native Americans that now make up the Yakama Indian Nation.

The fort was built in the late 1850s in an old oak grove watered by natural springs by future Civil War general Robert S. Garnett. The fort was in use for three years. In 1859, the military turned the fort over to the Yakama Indian Agency.^[4] The fort was then converted to an Indian school and the Yakama Indian Agency managed its affairs from the site until the early 1900s. The park was established in 1956.

Park and museum

Fort Simcoe State Park is a 200-acre (0.81 km²), day-use heritage park on the Yakama Indian Reservation. The park is primarily an interpretive effort, telling the story of mid-19th century army life and providing insights into the lifeways of local Native American culture. Five original buildings are still standing at the fort: the commander's house, three captain's houses and a blockhouse. Various other buildings have been recreated to appear original. Houses are filled with period furnishings. The park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The interpretive center, the original commander's house and two officer's buildings with period furnishings open to the public from April through September on Wednesday through Sunday. The original blockhouse and other recreated fort buildings are not open to the public. Special re-enactments and living history events are held during the year, as well as other special events.

References

1. "Fort Simcoe State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
2. Douglas M. Whisman, Historic Preservation Specialist (May 21, 1971). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Fort Simcoe State Park" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
3. "Fort Simcoe State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
4. Majors, Harry M. (1975). Exploring Washington. Van Winkle Publishing Co. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-918664-00-6.

External links

• Fort Simcoe State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
• Fort Simcoe State Park Map Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
• Photos of Fort Simcoe Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey