Fort Egbert (Eagle, Alaska)

Eagle · Alaska · Klondike Gold Rush

History & Significance

The base was constructed next to Eagle Bluff, a rocky outcropping overlooking Eagle, a Yukon River mining community near the Canada–US border. Construction began in 1899, with about one hundred enlisted men and a Hospital Corps detachment arriving in July to erect barracks, officer quarters, and other facilities; many buildings hastily constructed before winter later needed major improvements.

Eagle was placed under the fort's jurisdiction "until such time as some form of civil government may be established," and was released from martial law on July 23, 1900. Fort Egbert was designated as the first station in the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System (WAMCATS); the first link in the system was completed in October 1900, running from Dawson City to Fort Egbert.

General Billy Mitchell, known as the father of the U.S. Air Force, arrived at the fort in 1901 to oversee construction of a transcontinental telegraph line connecting Alaska to the lower 48. In 1905, Roald Amundsen arrived by dog sled to make Fort Egbert his temporary headquarters when he used the telegraph station to announce his successful crossing of the Northwest Passage.

Although the fort was largely abandoned in 1911, an Army Signal Corps contingent remained there to operate a telegraph and wireless station until 1925. Today, the BLM manages five restored structures at Fort Egbert in cooperation with the Eagle Historical Society and Museums; the fort is part of the Eagle Historic District National Historic Landmark.

Map

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Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Egbert
• https://www.blm.gov/programs/cultural-resources/archaeology/alaska/fort-egbert
• https://www.blm.gov/visit/fort-egbert-national-historic-site
• https://www.nps.gov/places/eagle-historic-district.htm
• https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fort-egbert

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