Fort Churchill, built for war, now a peaceful preserve

Fort Churchill State Historic Park offers visitors a glimpse not only into the past at Nevada's first military outpost, but also tremendous recreation opportunities along one of the longest publicly accessible river corridors in the state.

Since it was located just minutes off our main route on a trip to Northern Nevada, my daughters and I decided to stop in. We weren't sure what to expect and were pleasantly surprised to find many large adobe ruins still standing and a visitor center, all on a very scenic stretch of the Carson River.

In the spring of 1860, relations between whites and the Northern Paiute were past the boiling point. Battles had taken place and many people from both sides had already lost their lives. Pony Express riders, settlers and travelers in this isolated area became so anxious that they turned to the government for protection.

In July, orders were given to Captain Joseph Stewart and his Carson River Expedition to build the post. They found a spot on the northern bank of the river, about 40 miles east of Carson City and about one-half mile west of Sam Buckland's Ranch, near a pony express station and overland route.

The Army's response, in fact, was so grand and expensive that it became a scandal. It was costly to haul nearly all materials except adobe from distant points, and skilled labor was pricey in a region booming with the construction of new mining camps. It was also charged, however, that officers' quarters were overly elaborate. But the secession of Southern states and the war that followed soon overshadowed a mere pork barrel investigation.

During the Civil War, the fort served as a supply point for troops patrolling or traveling on the overland trail and also was a training base for about 1,200 Nevada volunteers.

The fort was only occupied for nine years because once the transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869, the overland routes were rarely used and no longer needed protection.

"Between the railroad and the declining conflict with Indians, it didn't make sense for soldiers to stay," said Jennifer Finlen, a park ranger at Fort Churchill.

In 1871, the state of Nevada turned down the chance to acquire the property and it wasn't until 1932 that it took hold of 200 acres of the military reservation. In 1934, the state deeded the property, in trust, to the Nevada Sagebrush DAR Chapter to serve as custodians. It later reverted to the state, and in 1957, it became Fort Churchill State Historic Park.

We first headed inside the visitor center, which gave us a good overview of the fort and helped us visualize how the post was laid out. At one time there were 58 buildings in a square, one-quarter mile across, which surrounded a parade ground. Despite the popular conception of a frontier fort, Fort Churchill, and typical frontier forts by the 1860s, were not surrounded by palisades of sharpened logs. The adobe buildings themselves could have been defended, had it ever become necessary, against Indian warriors who had no weapons more powerful than rifles. The post included barracks, storage buildings, hospital, arsenal, jail and barn. Average strength at the fort was around 200.

Included in the visitor center is a replica of the post headquarters. The room wasn't open to visitors but we peeked through the glass windows and were able to see the entire office. Two realistic mannequins were dressed in uniforms. Two appeared busy with paperwork while one looked like he just was keeping his eye on the one-cell brig, adjacent to the room, only separated by bars.

One interesting furnishing was the portable desk. Much as we use laptop computers today, a 19th century officer could fold up his desk and carry it into the field, still containing the important documents he had been working on in his office. In one corner was Captain Stewart's original traveling chest, the top supposedly worn by rocks and trees when his mule carried it out in the field.

Just outside the post headquarters are a pair of three-inch ordnance "rifles." Brought to the fort in 1864, they were state-of-the art artillery at the time. Although muzzle-loaded, they had rifling grooves inside the barrels, like modern weapons, and therefore were able to use elongated projectiles instead of old-fashioned cannonballs. The newer system gave greater range and accuracy.

We walked outside to see the ghostly ruins that dot the open landscape, the buff-colored adobe walls silhouetted against the blue sky. There are only 13 buildings still standing and those are kept in a state of arrested decay. Well-worn trails take visitors to the ruins and interpretive signs mark the former locations of buildings completely gone.

Twice a year, the Nevada Civil War Volunteers have encampments at Fort Churchill, using authentic clothing, weapons, and camping gear of the period. There are women volunteers who dress as the wives who would have followed the troops and lived nearby. The encampments are usually Saturday and Sunday on Memorial Day weekend and the second weekend in October.

Once the post was abandoned, the government auctioned off the buildings. The nearby rancher and way station owner, Samuel Buckland, bought the buildings and used the wooden roofs, supports and porches to build a two-story Greek revival house on his property, where he lived with his family as well as renting rooms to travelers.

In 1994, three historic properties, called the Carson River Ranches, comprising 3,200 acres just east of the fort, were acquired by the park. This acquisition connects Fort Churchill with Lahonton State Recreation Area and is a perfect place for park visitors to hike, canoe, horseback ride, mountain bike and bird watch.

"The ideal place for bird watching is near the Carson River Ranch area of the park," said Finlen. "There are less people and more wetlands, especially where the river connects with Lake Lahonton."

Because of the diverse plant communities, many different birds make this area home, including the Canada goose, mallard, wood duck, red-tailed hawk, rock wren, Great blue heron, California quail and golden eagle.

Other wildlife includes the mule deer, mountain lion, bobcat, jack rabbit, cottontail rabbit, and a wide variety of lizards.

The park is also an ideal place to embark on a canoe trip down the Carson River.

"When the water level is up, we offer ranger-guided canoe trips." Finlen said. This is usually in the spring when the river rises from melting mountain snowpack. The ranger-led canoes are launched at the picnic area near the fort, and travel downstream to the Lahonton Reservoir. This trip takes about 41/2 hours.

Altogether, the park now contains 4,200 acres and includes Buckland Station, which was also Sam Buckland's house. The building was vacant and deteriorating from 1959 until 1994, when it was acquired by the state.

"We just finished the renovation, and in the next few months, it will be opened as a museum," Finlen said.

There is a trail from the fort area that travels one half mile on the north side of the river to an old apple orchard and another that travels from Buckland's Station to the Lahonton Reservoir, which runs along the south side of the river for 41/2 miles one way. To do both together, though, you will have to cross over the highway and the bridge by Buckland's Station.

The park is open year-round and is at an elevation of 4,000 feet. The park experiences mild winters. Staying in a tent might get a little nippy during the colder months, or a bit toasty in summer, but it will be a historically authentic experience. Once the brass in Washington learned what it cost to build permanent structures at Fort Churchill, many of the soldiers there also lived in tents.

Contact Deborah Wall at Deborabus@aol.com.