Fort Seward, California
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| Fort Seward | |
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| Unincorporated community | |
 Fort Seward
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| Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Humboldt County |
| Elevation[1] | 328 ft (100 m) |
Fort Seward is an unincorporated community in Humboldt County, California.[1] It is located on the Eel River 3.5 miles (5.6 km) north-northwest of Alderpoint,[2] at an elevation of 328 feet (100 m).[1]
History
A military camp called Fort Seward[3] was established during the Bald Hills War on September 25, 1861, by Major Charles S. Lovell following a series of skirmishes with the Indians along the Eel River. It was built on the location recommended by Lieutenant Joseph B. Collins, U.S. 4th Infantry Regiment:
- "The best position for a post is, in my opinion, on Eel River, near the head of Larrabee Creek, about sixty-five miles southeast from Fort Humboldt. It should be built immediately, and garrisoned by at least one full company, with a sufficient number of mules and riding saddles to mount a party large enough (say thirty) to follow rapidly and chastise all Indians that may commit depredations within fifty miles of it. This I believe will soon put a stop to all depredations and give ample security to the inhabitants and their property. Without a post but little can be accomplished and proper protection is almost impossible. The roads will be good for pack animals during the dry season, and the facilities for building good; that is, for small dry houses."[4]
Fort Seward was decommissioned in 1862.[2] It was later the site where the captured Lassic Wailaki leader during the Bald Hills War and his men were killed by local militiamen in January 1863.[5]
A post office operated at Fort Seward from 1912 to 1972.[2] The name honors William H. Seward, Secretary of State under President Abraham Lincoln.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Fort Seward, California
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ The California State Military Museum, Historic California Posts:Fort Seward (Camp on the Eel River)
- ↑ Correspondence Relating to the Fourth U.S. Infantry, Operations on the Pacific, 1861
- ↑ Lynette Mullen, "A deadly “cold”, January 23, 1863, Humboldt Times quoted in Lynette's NorCal History Blog, February 5, 2010, accessed July 8, 2011
