The post began life as “Camp Rankin” before being renamed “Fort Sedgwick.” The troops at this fort were ordered to protect communicaƟons and trade routes while on the lookout for hosƟle Indians. By the end of 1864 Camp Rankin was complete and measured 240 feet by 360 feet. A sod fence, three feet thick and five feet high surrounded the buildings. Sod basƟons marked the northwest and southeast corners. The main gate faced the south and opened onto a small parade ground. Fort Sedgwick Park CommiƩee 100 West 2 nd Street Julesburg, CO 80737 [email protected]facebook.com/FortSedgwickPark Denver Public Library. (2014). Digital CollecƟon: Western History. Denver, CO, Unites States of America. Gallagher, J. A. (2013). Colorado Forts: Historic Outposts on the Wild FronƟer. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press. Nebraska State Historical Society. (2004, June 4). Julesburg and Fort Sedgwick. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from Nebraska State Historical Society: hƩp://www.nebraskahistory.org Weiser, K. (2014, April). Colorado Forts of the Old West. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from Legends of America: hƩp://legendsofamerica.com Williams, D. W. (1993). Fort Sedgwick Colorado Territory: Hell Hole on the PlaƩe. Sedgwick: F. S. R. Trust. The Fort Sedgwick Park Project is a plan to build a replica of the historic Camp Rankin/Fort Sedgwick near Julesburg, CO. It received it’s 501(c)3 designaƟon July 2014. A secƟon of 23.91 acres of land, located on Highway 385, just off the overpass, has been designated by the Town of Julesburg for use by the Fort Sedgwick Park CommiƩee to construct Fort Sedgwick Park in the near future. Fundraisers will be held to help secure addiƟonal funds to begin the first phase of construcƟon, projected to begin in late 2015. To contact the Fort Sedgwick Park CommiƩee, call 970.474.3504, email us at [email protected], or “like” Fort Sedgwick Park on Facebook. Do not reproduce
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Transcript
The post began life as “Camp
Rankin” before being renamed “Fort
Sedgwick.” The troops at this fort were
ordered to protect communica ons and
trade routes while on the lookout for
hos le Indians.
By the end of 1864 Camp Rankin
was complete and measured 240 feet by
360 feet. A sod fence, three feet thick and
five feet high surrounded the buildings.
Sod bas ons marked the northwest and
southeast corners. The main gate faced
the south and opened onto a small parade
ground.
Fort Sedgwick Park Commi ee 100 West 2nd Street Julesburg, CO 80737
Denver Public Library. (2014). Digital Collec on: Western History. Denver, CO, Unites States of America.
Gallagher, J. A. (2013). Colorado Forts: Historic Outposts on the Wild Fron er. Charleston, South Carolina: The History Press.
Nebraska State Historical Society. (2004, June 4). Julesburg and Fort Sedgwick. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from Nebraska State Historical Society: h p://www.nebraskahistory.org
Weiser, K. (2014, April). Colorado Forts of the Old West. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from Legends of America: h p://legendsofamerica.com
Williams, D. W. (1993). Fort Sedgwick Colorado Territory: Hell Hole on the Pla e. Sedgwick: F. S. R. Trust.
The Fort Sedgwick Park Project is a plan to build a replica of the historic Camp Rankin/Fort Sedgwick near Julesburg, CO. It received it’s 501(c)3 designa on July 2014.
A sec on of 23.91 acres of land, located on Highway 385, just off the overpass, has been designated by the
Town of Julesburg for use by the Fort Sedgwick Park Commi ee to construct Fort Sedgwick Park in the near future. Fundraisers will be held to help secure addi onal funds to begin the first phase of construc on,
projected to begin in late 2015.
To contact the Fort Sedgwick Park Commi ee, call 970.474.3504, email us at [email protected], or “like” Fort Sedgwick Park on Facebook.
Do not reproduce
Originally, the post was located approximately five miles upriver from present‐day Julesburg opposite the mouth of Lodgepole Creek. Camp Rankin was named a er Lieutenant John K. Rankin. Lt. Rankin was the ac ng assistant adjutant general. The town of Julesburg was a stage and freight sta on. In 1864, the Iowa Volunteer Calvary was led by Captain Nickolas O’Brien. The Colorado Mili a patrolled west of Julesburg and the Iowa volunteers patrolled the Trail east. A er the Sand Creek Massacre in November of 1864, southern Plains Indians wanted revenge. They heavily stormed the area in early 1865. Although there had been reports of Indians Captain O’Brien didn’t believe it un l he inves gated and found wagons
overturned and men dead. A
thousand Cheyenne, Arapaho and
Sioux warriors a acked the poorly guarded post but were s ll unable to take it. When this happened they turned to the town of Julesburg for a ack. One third of O’Brien’s men were killed in the a acks so the Indians con nued on to other sta ons. Ci zens and soldiers defended against the a acks with their firearms. Days of unsuccessful a acks led the Indians to send sta ons up in flames. The only sta on that was prepared for this kind of a ack was present‐day Merino. The Indians a acked Julesburg again on February 18. The few ci zens that were le escaped to Fort Sedgwick. Due to the small military force there they were unable to stop the a ack and watched as their town was raided and burned to the ground. 18 defenders were killed in this a ack. The town was destroyed, but because Julesburg occupied other nearby loca ons, including it’s present loca on,
the town was
never rebuilt. On September 27, 1865 Camp Rankin was renamed Fort Sedgwick in honor of General John Sedgwick, who was
killed during the Civil War. The post was enlarged in order to make space for addi onal buildings and tents. The fence and bas ons were removed. By 1868, Fort Sedgwick had four company barracks. Three of these were constructed of adobe and one was a prefab portable building. According to military documents, the post was in constant disrepair with roofs that leaked and some mes disappeared during violent storms, crumbling walls, and windows broken by hail. While the Union Pacific Railroad was being constructed in 1867 the troops from Fort Sedgwick protected the construc on workers from the constant threat of Indian a acks. By May of 1871 the fort had been abandoned by the Unites States Army. Today there is nothing le of the old fort that once sat along the South Pla e River Trail, a 19 mile Colorado Scenic and Historic Byway. The empty field where the fort
once stood is now
designated by a marker. A stone monument now marks where the original