Fort Reynolds (Avondale, Colorado)
Avondale · Colorado · Indian Wars and Civil War
History & Significance
Established on July 3, 1867, as Marcy's Camp by Captain Simon Snyder of the 5th U.S. Infantry, Company F, in Pueblo County, Colorado, the post was renamed on completion after Major General John F. Reynolds, killed in action at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. Situated on the Arkansas River about three miles above the mouth of the Huerfano River, the fort occupied a reservation that included barracks, a mess hall, a hospital, a guardhouse, a store-house, a laundry, a corral, a supply depot, and parade grounds.
Though initially intended to support operations during the Indian Wars, its distance from active conflict left it with a supply and garrison function. The post's only recorded military action occurred in January 1868, when soldiers were called from Fort Lyon and Fort Reynolds to manage citizen unrest in Trinidad, Colorado that began with a drunken brawl—the extent of action seen by the Fort Reynolds post.
The fort closed in 1872, and in the 1930s the site had remnants of camp life, including cooking utensils, weapons, buttons, and other items. A stone marker is located on US-50 at mile marker 333, about one mile east of Avondale.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Archaeological remnants and ruins of a Civil War-era supply depot
- Historical marker along U.S. Route 50 documenting the fort's history
- 1867–1872 military post staffed by approximately 100 soldiers
- Named for General John F. Reynolds, killed at Gettysburg
- Sparse plains setting east of Pueblo, Colorado
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Reynolds_(Colorado)
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Reynolds_(1)
- https://archives.denverlibrary.org/subjects/12704
- https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Fort_Reynolds_(Colorado)