Native Americans « Pacific Northwest Photoblog Pacific Northwest Photoblog

Fort Yamhill, Polk County, Oregon

Fort Yamhill sits in Polk County, just a few miles east of Spirit Mountain Casino, and an easy day trip from Portland. It gets it’s name from the South Fork of the Yamhill River, which was named after a tribe of local Native Americans in the area – the Kalapuya or more commonly and familiarly spelled here in Oregon, Calapooya. Many of them were moved to the Grand Ronde Reservation in 1855.

At the request of Joel Palmer, who was Superintendent of Indian Affairs at the time, the Fort was built in 1856 to keep Indians on the reservation. It’s location on top of a hill, along the Killimuck, was extremely advantageous for this reason. Realistically it protected the Indians from the Settlers more then it protected the Settlers from the Indians.

During the American Civil War it was fortified by Union Volunteers from California. One of the most famous Oregon History books, All Quiet on the Yamhill: The Civil War in Oregon, was written by Lieutenant Royal A. Bensell, who was stationed here during that time. It’s probably one of the best first hand accounts of early Oregon, and the only one directly related to Military life during the Civil War in Oregon.

Until very recently the location was on private property. It became open to the public in 2006 and is now an official Oregon State Park. Lieutenant Bensell mentioned the Oregon Weather more then once, especially the low laying fog and rain. I fortunately, or unfortunately encountered the same on the day I was there. The picture above is standing about where the Officers Barracks were, looking south to the flag pole. Bensell mentioned this exactly, only being able to see as far as the flagpole from the front porch of his Barracks .

Here is a map in the park, based on the original Quarter Master’s sketches. The Officers Barracks were at the North side of the Fort, at the top of the hill. On the west side were the enlisted Barracks, and the important buildings were on the east end.

It is said that General Philip H. Sheridan was stationed here as a Lieutenant and that this building was his barracks. It was moved to the southern end of the Fort when all the Fort’s buildings were auctioned off in 186.6 The back portion was added on to to become a farm house. It, along with the original Blockhouse that has been moved to Dayton Oregon are all that remains of the Fort. Unfortunately, this is more then remains of any of the other dozen forts in Oregon except for Fort Stevens of course. Fort Hoskins comes in a close third. It’s currently being deconstructed, and sounds like it will most likely be moved back to it’s original position in the future by the Park Service.

Abert Rim, Lake County, Oregon

Abert Rim is one of most unique geological features within Oregon. First discovered by Lieutenant John Fremont (he of Fremont Forest fame,) on December 20th, 1843, he named it and the nearby lake after his commanding office Colonel J. J. Abert. Fremont was attempting to find a mythical river called the Buena Vista that flowed from Klamath Lake to San Francisco area and to map one of last unknown areas in Oregon.

Fremont wrote of the three feet deep snow, the cutting wind and ice. Having just recently sighted and named Summer Lake a few days ago after seeing the sun break through the clouds and illuminate the lake, they were unprepared for Abert Lake after passing off the Winter Ridge at the south end of Abert Rim. The full size and scale of Abert Rim did not dawn on Fremont for several days as they followed Indian paths between the lake and it. He finally headed south ward again after going as far north as Christmas Lake.

150 years later, this entire area is pretty much the way Fremont saw it. There are no longer any signs of Indians around, except for ancient caches of arrow heads around the lake. Two paved roads pass through, one following Abert Rim north and south, and another circling to the west and north of the lakes. A few dirt roads head off into the hills or too isolated ranches left over from the 1920′s homestead rush.

Hard to believe that this picture was taken in early June, 2008. As you can see this is Oregon’s high desert country. The valley is at 4000 feet and Abert Rim climbs another 2500 at it’s highest point. There are two seasons here: cold snowy and rainy or hot and dry. Sometimes you get them both at the same time.

Geologically Speaking Abert Rim is interesting as it one of (if not the) largest and longest fault escarpments in the United States. It first started forming about three to four million years ago. The fault caused huge chunks of basalt that covered most of South Eastern Oregon to heave upwards.

During the last ice age a huge ice dam sat at the top of Abert Rim, until it broke through. The flood caused the formation of a huge lake in the valley and gave Abert Rim title to the highest water fall in the world.

This winding little river on top of Abert RIm actually drains quite a bit of area. In the winter it’s easily ten to twenty feet deep in areas. It eventually finds it’s way over Abert Rim and was mentioned in Fremont’s journal on December 18th, 1843 as a place they filled up on fresh water.

One of the desert flowers. I want to say this is fire weed but do not know for sure.

Pacific Northwest Photoblog

Travel Photos and History from the Pacific Northwest

Native Americans

Fort Yamhill, Polk County, Oregon

Share this:

Abert Rim, Lake County, Oregon

Share this: