|
|
|
|
Taken from the handout at Sleeping Bear RV: Camp Augur - When the Wind River Indian Reservation was established for the Shoshones in 1868, Chief Washakie requested a military post be established before he would move his people there, in order to protect them from raiding Sioux war parties. Camp Augur was established on June 28, 1869 at what is presently the block between 5th and 6th on Main St. It was originally named for Brigadier General Christopher C. Augur, commanding officer of the Department of the Platte. The post was noted as being extremely crude in structure, consisting of log cabins with sod roofs, surrounded by a ditch within an enclosure 175' by 125'. The stockade had blockhouses at angels. Since it was army policy to name posts for soldiers who had died in combat, the post was renamed Camp Brown in March 1870 for Captain Brown who had died in the Fetterman Massacre in 1866. In 1871 the post moved to Little Wind River and eventually renamed Fort Washakie in 1878. It continued as an active post until 1890. Generally the post saw a peaceful time but was attacked by Sioux in 1871 and 1873. Mrs. Richards, former cook for the officers at the post, was killed along with her niece, Mrs. Hall, at her road ranch which stood on the site of the old post office by raiding Sioux. From this small post, settlers began taking up homesteads and within 6 years the fledgling community of Lander sprang into existence in 1875. |
|
Questions,
Comments, Praise, Complaints?
|
