Fort Collins (Larimer County, Colorado)
Larimer County · Colorado · Indian Wars
History & Significance
Camp Collins was a 19th-century U.S. Army outpost commissioned in summer 1862 to protect the Overland Trail from Native American attacks in what became known as the Colorado War. Fort Collins began on July 22, 1862, when soldiers from the 9th Kansas Cavalry arrived to guard the Overland Stage Line, and was named in honor of Lt. Col. William O. Collins, commander of Ohio Cavalry troops at Fort Laramie.
A devastating flood rushed down the Cache la Poudre River the night of June 9, 1864, washing away tents, ammunition, and some cabins. On August 20, 1864, Col. Collins signed the order relocating the post to a new site where the Fort Collins Historical Society honors as the fort's official birthday; by October 1864, the new post opened, using the name "Fort Collins" instead of "Camp Collins."
The fort saw little direct action and was never stockaded with walls. Lewis Stone and his wife Elizabeth, known as "Auntie" Stone, built the first permanent private dwelling in 1864, a two-story cabin that served as the city's first hotel.
Fort Collins remained a military post for almost two years until soldiers were evacuated in September 1866. Though locals claimed the land immediately after abandonment, legal issues kept it officially in government hands until May 15, 1872, when Congress opened the reservation to homesteading; that same year the Agricultural Colony arrived and the town was platted.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 1864 Army outpost protecting Overland mail route during Indian Wars
- Decommissioned 1867 after frontier conflict subsided
- Historic site adjacent to modern Old Town district
- Period military architecture and layout from Indian Wars era
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Collins,_Colorado
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Collins
- https://coloradomuseums.co/cities-4-plus-museums/fort-collins/
- https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/fort-collins
- https://history.fcgov.com/explore/city-history
- https://theclio.com/entry/77553