Our Mission The mission of California State Parks is alk among Fort to provide for the health, inspiration and W Fort Tejon education of the people of California by helping Tejon’s buildings, sites, to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological State Historic Park diversity, protecting its most valued natural and and ruins. Imagine the cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. lives of the soldiers and civilians, and understand the struggles of early life in California. California State Parks supports equal access. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (661) 248-6692. If you need this publication in an alternate format, contact [email protected].

CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P.O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service

www.parks.ca.gov

Fort Tejon State Historic Park 4201 Fort Tejon Road / P.O. Box 895 Lebec, CA 93243 (661) 248-6692

© 2007 California State Parks (Rev. 2016) Soldier reenactment, 1994 A t the top of Grapevine Canyon, the Because the animals were in poor adobe buildings of Fort Tejon State Historic condition and expensive to feed, the camel Park guard a beautiful, tree-lined meadow. herd was transferred after less than a year to Between 1854 and 1864, this U.S. Army fort the Los Angeles Quartermaster Depot. There protected people in the surrounding region they were used in a failed experiment to cut from the social and cultural conflicts between the expense of messenger service between American settlers and California Indians. Los Angeles and Fort Mojave. The animals Fort Tejon, at an elevation of over 3,500 were then moved to the Benicia Army feet, is situated in the rugged Tehachapi Arsenal and eventually sold at auction. Mountains near Tejon Pass on I-5. Summer temperatures are often in the high 80s The Closure of Fort Tejon and can exceed 100 degrees. Winter Living History program participants For almost ten years, Fort Tejon provided a temperatures can dip to freezing, with the source of employment, protection, and social In July 1854 Lieutenant Alfred Latimer and possibility of snow. Grapevine Canyon is activities for local residents. The foremost a small detachment of dragoons established known for occasional strong winds. duties of the dragoons a camp at the reservation. However, the new stationed here were to EARLY HISTORY camp lacked water, forage for horses, and protect and control the Prior to the establishment of Fort Tejon, timber for construction. That August, Major native Emigdiano living the Emigdiano group of Native Californians J.L. Donaldson, the Quartermaster, moved on the Sebastian (also called this area home. An inland group of the post to the top of Grapevine Canyon, 17 known as the Tejon) the coastal Chumash people, the Emigdiano miles southwest of the reservation. This site Reservation, and to lived in a large village at the bottom of contained everything necessary to sustain a deter raids by the Grapevine Canyon and had one village, large military outpost. Paiutes, Chemeheuvi, Sausu, along Castac Lake. Unlike the coastal The First U.S. Dragoons arrived on August Mojave, and other groups, they had little contact with European 10, 1854, and began construction of more desert-dwelling explorers and settlers before the mid-1800s. than 40 military buildings. A small civilian groups. The community developed just south of the dragoons’ wide- Founding of a Fort fort to provide supplies and labor to the ranging patrols The gold discovery drew thousands military. In 1858 the Overland Mail Company covered most of people to California in the 1850s. established a station in the sutler’s (trader’s) of central and Confrontations between the Emigdiano, store at the fort. southern would-be miners, and land-hungry settlers The Camel Experiment California and were frequent. The U.S. government tried sometimes During the late 1850s, the U.S. Army to mitigate the situation by establishing extended as experimented with camels, hoping to reservations, including the Sebastian far as Utah. Reservation at the southern end of the improve transport across the arid west; in 1859 camels were brought to Fort Tejon, Volunteer portraying San Joaquin Valley in 1853. a dragoon. where the Army took charge of them. With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, buildings in 1947 The land the park sits on is the dragoons were sent to guard Los Angeles and continues to highly active geologically. This area and later transferred east to fight in the war. this day. The original experienced one of the greatest In the summer of 1862, violence erupted barracks building, the earthquakes ever recorded in U.S. between the encroaching white settlers and reconstructed officers’ history. In 1857, an earthquake of the Owens Valley Paiute, who wanted to quarters, and various approximately 7.9 to 8.2 magnitude protect their lands. Three cavalry companies other structures stand struck here along the San Andreas Fault, California poppies are of California Volunteers forcibly moved as reminders of Fort among the many wildflowers leaving an amazing surface-rupture scar the Paiute to the Sebastian Reservation, Tejon’s military history. found in the park. more than 220 miles long. but the authorities there refused to accept responsibility for them. In 1863, several NATURAL HISTORY ACCESSIBLE FEATURES hundred of these Indians were brought to The plant and animal life here is unique, Various buildings and exhibits, including Fort Tejon, which was then being used by due to the park’s geographical location the visitor center, officers’ quarters, picnic the California Volunteers. With little or no at the confluence of several ecological tables, restrooms, and parking near the food, clothing, or other support, the Indians’ regions, including the Mojave Desert, the visitor center/park office are all accessible. ranks were thinned by disease, starvation, Central Valley, the Sierra Nevada, and An interpretive trail around the historic and desertion until the summer of 1864, Southern California. The natural vegetation grounds is generally accessible. when they were transferred to the Tule River is dominated by oak woodlands that provide Accessibility is continually improving. For Indian Reservation. That year the U.S. Army forage and shelter for a variety of wildlife, updates, visit http://access.parks.ca.gov or closed Fort Tejon, formally ending its career including the endangered California condors, call the park. as an active military post. scrub jays, and red-shafted flickers who feed on acorns. PLEASE REMEMBER FORT TEJON TODAY The presence of a year-round creek in • The park is open daily from sunrise to In 1940, through the persuasive efforts an otherwise arid climate attracts many sunset. The visitor center and historic of Kern County citizens, the Tejon Ranch animals to the park. The riparian woodland buildings are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Company deeded five acres — the and freshwater marsh along Grapevine • The park is closed Thanksgiving, fort’s parade ground, the foundations, Creek are home to myriad birds and Christmas, and New Year’s Day. and remnants of the original adobe reptiles. Almost all of the mammals found • Contact the park for information on buildings — to the State of California as a in the area — including blacktailed deer, scheduled Living History demonstrations. state park. Restoration began on the adobe blacktailed hare, Beechey ground squirrels, • State law prohibits disturbing or removing bobcats, badgers, and opossum — frequent any natural, cultural, or historic features these wetlands during the summer for water. in the park. The park’s meadows and grasslands are • Stay on designated trails or mowed areas. home to insects, seed-eating birds, and • The park has no designated hiking or small mammals. As a result, the area is bicycle trails. fertile hunting ground for raptors, coyotes, • Do not drive off designated roads. and gray foxes. • Pets must be kept on a leash. Reconstructed Quartermaster building Lebec Rd Digier Rd Fort Tejon Legend to Bakersfield State Historic Park Freeway Lebec Road Paved Road

Interpretive Path

Visitor Park Buildings Junior Officers’ Center Post Quarters Historic Sites Bakery Lebec Rd Accessible Feature Guard- Wells house Bridge Jail

area shown in Locked Gate Commissary/ Peter Lebeck enlargement Hospital Visitor FORT TEJON Grave Center Campground: Group STATE to Los Parking Angeles HISTORIC PARK Barracks #2 Picnic Area Officers’ Band Quarters Quarters Ranger Station Barracks #1 Restrooms Orderlies’ Kitchens and Quarters Mess Halls Officers’ Quarters

FORT TEJON Quartermaster ccess Only) Building d A Fort Tejon Road un ro pg am C up STATE HISTORIC PARK ro (G d oa R e Tule Elk ic SNR rv Se This park is supported in part through the NEARBY STATE PARKS Post Fort Tejon Historical Association Cemetery • Hungry Valley SVRA, 5301 Peace Valley P.O. Box 895, Lebec, CA 93243 Rd., Gorman 93243 (661) 248-7007 www.forttejon.org • Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland SP 20998 Lancaster Road, Lancaster 93536 Group (661) 942-0662 NO Camp • Tule Elk State SNR, 8653 Station Road PUBLIC Buttonwillow 93206 (661) 764-6881 ACCESS

© 2007 California State Parks (Rev. 2016)