Adventure 051, Site 173 – Fort Tejon

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 051, Site 173 – Fort Tejon

California Landmark Number: 129

National Registry ID: 1971000140

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  October 6, 2012

Location:

Latitude: 34° 52.394′ N

Longitude: 118° 53.73′ W

Address: Fort Tejón State Historic Park

Description:

Thing One and Thing Two were on their way back from visiting their daughter, when they saw Fot Tejon's California Landmark sign. Being suckers these days for any historical site, they found the plaque and took their pictures. But that is not all—they also found out a few things about Fort Tejon.

How do camels and Fresno meet into this adventure some 40 miles south of Bakersfield? First, Jefferson Davis had established the Army Camel Corp to aid in patrolling the Southwest. The trail went from Texas to Fort Tejon with the Camel Corp being quartered at Fort Tejon. It turns out that the camels were ill-suited for the Southwest so they never became part of Amry operations.

So how does Fresno come into play? Fort Tejon was being established to help control Indian relations. There was a reservation within 20 miles of Fort Tejon. But the Army already had a station at Fort Miller, near Fresno. The Army wanted out of there and thought that Fort Tejon would be a better place for them. So they moved out of the Fresno area to Fort Tejon.

NO. 129 FORT TEJÓN -This military post was established by the United States Army on June 24, 1854, to suppress stock rustling and protect the Indians in the San Joaquin Valley. Camels for transportation were introduced here in 1858. As regimental headquarters of the First Dragoons, Fort Tejón was an important military, social, and political center - it was abandoned September 11, 1864.
Location: Fort Tejón State Historic Park, on Lebec Rd, 2.8 mi N of Lebec



From NRHP:
This military post was established by the United States Army on June 24, 1854, to suppress stock rustling and to protect Indians in the San Joaquin Valley. As regimental Headquarters of the First Dragoons, Fort Tejon, was an important military, social, and political center. Camels for transportation were introduced here in 1858. The fort was abandoned September 11, l864. Subsequently, it became headquarters for the Tejon Ranch until acquired by the State in 1940. Considerable restoration reconstruction is planned for the area.



From the History of Fort Tejon:
Fort Tejon is located in the Grapevine Canyon, the main route between California's great central valley and Southern California. The fort was established to protect and control the Indians who were living on the Sebastian Indians Reservation, and to protect both the Indians and white settlers from raids by the wide-ranging and rather warlike Paiutes, Chemeheui, Mojave, and other Indian groups of the desert regions to the south east. Fort Tejon was first garrisoned by the United States Army on August 10, 1854 and was abandoned ten years later on September 11, 1864.









References:

• Wikipedia
  
• National Registry of Historical Places-Documents and Photos
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB.org)
  
• Landmark Blogger and Song Writer
  
• History of Fort Tejon
  
• Fort Tejon State Historical Park Web Site
  

Overall Landmark References:

• David Schmitt's California State Historical Landmark (Schmitt)
  
• Wikipedia: California's National Landmarks (WCNL)
  
• State of California's California Historical Landmarks (CHL)
  
• Wikipedia: California State Landmarks (WCSL)
  
• State of California Historical Resources (CHR)
  
• National Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)
  
• Historical Marker Database (HMDB)