Coulee Dam National Recreation Area National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Fort On the Final Frontier

Keeping the Peace By the end of the 1870's, two large The Northern Pacific Railroad had Indian reservations had been estab begun to advertise the tremendous lished in Washington Territory farming potential of this region, north of the Columbia River. Most opening the door to trainloads of of the Indians intended for these settlers with their horses, cattle and reserves lived elsewhere. Adding farm machinery. Even though the to the uneasiness, the tribes sent to reservation boundaries had been laid the Colville Reservation had never down, keeping the semi-nomadic made treaty with the government tribes within and the land-hungry ceding their lands. Although these settlers without was a difficult task. tribes came to the reservations peaceably, tensions existed.

Strategic Location The consolidation of tribes on This site at the confluence of the reservations, along with improved Columbia and Spokane Rivers was railroad and boat transportation, found to be that strategic point. eliminated the need for the many small stockade-style forts erected "...hundreds of Indians annually earlier in this region. A board of congregate from all directions from officers was appointed in 1880 to various tribes, and all the great select a central location for a new Indian trails center at this point, thus post that would protect the settlers making it easy for troops to move in of the upper Columbia, as well as any direction that may be neces keep a watchful eye on the Indian sary." reservations to the north. - Lt. Col. Heniy Clay Merriam

Birth of a Fort Construction of Camp Spokane Camp Chelan, over 80 miles to the began in 1880 with the transfer of west. During the first year many troops of the 2nd Infantry from temporary buildings were erected by troop labor with a minimum of funds.

Following his annual inspection of the Department of the Columbia in 1881, Commanding General Nelson A. Miles recommended that $40,280.07 be appropriated for construction of a permanent post, which by military decree was named Fort Spokane in 1882. With this money, building began in earnest. During the next 12 years over 45 structures were erected.