Fort Tejon, California, is a former United States Army outpost which was intermittently active from June 24, 1854, until September 11, 1864. It is located in the Grapevine Canyon (La Cañada de las Uvas) area of Tejon Pass along Interstate 5, the main route through the mountains separating California's Central Valley from Los Angeles. The fort's location protected the San Joaquin Valley from the south and east. Its mission was to suppress stock rustling and protect settlers from attacks by Native American tribes, including the Paiute and Mojave, and to monitor the less aggressive Emigdiano living nearby. The Emigdiano, who were closely related to the Chumash of the Santa Barbara area, had several villages near Fort Tejon and were generally cooperative with the European settlers and the Army.
Parade ground at Fort Tejon, California, June 2006. The restored
barracks are at left and the commanding officer's quarters are at
the center, to the right of and behind which are stabilized but
unrestored officers' quarters. Split rail fences outline the
foundations of buildings that have not been rebuilt.
Fort Tejon, California, is a former United States Army
outpost which was intermittently active from June 24, 1854, until
September 11, 1864. It is located in the Grapevine Canyon (La
Cañada de las Uvas) area of Tejon Pass along Interstate 5, the
main route through the mountains separating California's
Central Valley from Los Angeles. The
fort's location protected the San Joaquin Valley from the south and
east. Its mission was to suppress stock rustling and protect
settlers from attacks by Native American tribes, including the
Paiute and Mojave, and to monitor the less aggressive Emigdiano
living nearby. The Emigdiano, who were closely related to the
Chumash of the Santa Barbara area, had several villages near Fort
Tejon and were generally cooperative with the European settlers and
the Army.
History
At the urging of Edward Fitzgerald Beale, Superintendent of
Indian Affairs in California, Fort Tejon was established by the
U.S. Army in 1854. Fort Tejon was the headquarters of the First
U.S. Dragoons until those regular army troops were transferred to
the East in July 1861 upon the outbreak of the American Civil War.
The fort was re-occupied by California volunteer troops in 1863.
Those units included Companies D, E and G of the 2nd California
Volunteer Cavalry from July 6 to August 17, 1863 and Company B of
the 2nd California Volunteer Infantry, which remained there until
Fort Tejon was abandoned for good on September 11,
1864.<ref>http://www.civilwararchive.com/Unreghst/uncacav.htm#2ndcav
accessed 11-11-08</ref>
The fort lay along the Stockton Los Angeles Stage Road and was
from 1858 a stagecoach station
on the Butterfield Overland Mail following the same route as far as
Visalia. From 1858, Fort Tejon was the western terminus of the
experimental US Army Camel Corps, which
utilized the imported animals in an effort to carry supplies across
arid regions in the Southwest.
The great earthquake of 1857 that became known as the Fort Tejon
earthquake was in fact centered nowhere near Fort Tejon. The fort
became associated with the earthquake simply because the area near
the epicenter was sparsely populated and the most reliable report
of the shaking was issued from the fort, nearly 93 miles
(149.7 km) distant.
Fort Tejon is now Fort Tejon State Historic Park, and is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its original
historic buildings have been documented by the Historic American
Buildings Survey. Several buildings have been restored, and two are
partially open to visitors. The restored barracks contain display
cases of uniforms and a recreated troopers' quarters. The
commanding officer's quarters have several restored and furnished
rooms. Officers' quarters nearby are only stabilized in a state of
arrested decay, with walls buttressed by masonry and lumber and
tied together with reinforcing rods. A quartermaster building has
recently been erected and houses materials used in Dragoon life and Civil
War reenactments. Several unrestored buildings are denoted by split
rail fences along the outlines of their foundations. A park office
with Dragoon life exhibits and restrooms is at the east end of the
parade ground near the parking lot by Interstate 5.
Fort Tejon is the site of frequent Civil War reenactments
presented by the Fort Tejon Historical Association.<ref>Fort
Tejon State Historic Park pamphlet, State of California, Department
of Parks & Recreation, Sacramento, California,
1991.</ref>
1857
Fort Tejon earthquake
Main article: 1857 Fort
Tejon earthquake
The Fort Tejon earthquake occurred at about 8:20 AM
(Pacific time) on January 9, 1857. It ruptured the San Andreas
Fault for a length of about 350 kilometers (225 miles), between
Parkfield and San Bernardino. Displacement along the fault was as
much as 9 meters (30 feet) in the Carrizo Plain but less along
the Palmdale section of
the fault, closest to Los Angeles. The amount of fault slip gives
this earthquake a moment magnitude of 7.9, comparable to that of
the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Based on the (uncertain)
distribution of foreshocks for this earthquake, it is assumed that
the beginning of the fault rupture (the epicenter) was in the area
between Parkfield and Cholame, about 60 miles northwest.
Nevertheless, it is usually called the "Fort Tejon" earthquake
because this was the location of the greatest damage, most of the
area being unpopulated at the time.
See also
- Fort Tejon Historical Association
References
-
Fort Tejon Restored
Barracks.JPG
East end of the restored barracks building. The unrestored
kitchen/mess hall is outlined by split rail fence to the left.
-
Barracks Interior
1.JPG
Barracks interior showing soldiers' quarters.
-
Barracks Interior
2.JPG
The day room in the barracks.
-
Barracks Interior
3.JPG
Uniform items on display in the day room.
-
Uniform Display in
Barracks.JPG
One of the several uniform displays in the barracks.
-
Dragoon Display in
Barracks.JPG
Model of Dragoon in the barracks.
-
Fort Tejon Barracks from
CO Qtrs.JPG
View of the barracks from the front porch of the commanding
officer's quarters. The split rail fence at the near end of the
barracks denotes the foundation outline of another barracks yet to
be restored.
-
Fort Tejon Quartermaster
Building.JPG
The quartermaster building.
-
Quartermaster Building
interior.JPG
The interior of the quartermaster building showing materials
used during Dragoon and Civil War reenactments staged at Fort
Tejon.
-
Fort Tejon Commanding
Officers Quarters.JPG
The restored commanding officer's quarters.
-
Fort Tejon CO Quarters
Interior 1.JPG
A furnished room inside the commanding officer's quarters.
-
Fort Tejon CO Quarters
Interior 2.JPG
The dining room inside the commanding officer's quarters.
-
Fort Tejon CO Qtrs Child
and Servant Bedroom.JPG
Bedroom for the children and servant on the second floor of the
commanding officer's quarters.
-
Fort Tejon CO Qtrs Adult
Bedroom.JPG
Wolf rug in the adults' bedroom on the second floor of the
commanding officer's quarters.
-
Fort Tejon CO Qtrs Roof
Reshingling.JPG
The roof of the commanding officer's quarters receiving new
shingles, showing the detail of roof construction.
-
Fort Tejon Unrestored
Officers Qtrs.JPG
Officers' quarters. This building has been stabilized but not
restored, and is not open to the public. The interiors may be
viewed through the wire fencing.
-
Wall Stabilization in
Officers Qtrs.JPG
Detail showing the interior wall bracing needed to stabilize the
structure of the officers' quarters.
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