Fort Mary B (Breckenridge, Colorado)

Breckenridge · Colorado · Indian Wars

Quick BriefFort Mary B was the first permanent structure in the Breckenridge area, a wooden stockade built by gold prospectors in 1859 due to the presence of Ute people nearby. The fort stood at what is now the City Market at 400 North Parkway. The community began as a collection of rustic log cabins and a protective fort when prospectors and one woman over-wintered along the Blue River.

History & Significance

Gold discovery in the Blue River occurred when Ruben J. Spaulding found enough gold in his pan on August 10, 1859, to stake a claim. Miners under the leadership of General George E. Spencer established the fort to winter, fearing attacks from Ute Indians—fears that never materialized.

The wooden stockade covered a couple of acres and had a log cabin at each corner. An eyewitness described it as "a very strong looking building being made of large pine logs about ten feet high, inclosing about one acre and loopholed on every side for musketry."

George E. Spencer, one of the fort's residents, later secured Breckenridge's post office in January 1860 by changing the town spelling to "Breckinridge," and went on to become a senator in Alabama after the Civil War. The fort's namesake remains historically uncertain; no primary source eyewitness accounts exist for naming it for "Mary Bigelow."

The most likely candidate for the namesake was a woman named "Mary B" who visited the fort. Spencer's company founded Breckenridge in November 1859 near Fort Mary B.