Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-03-21
BLOCKHOUSE'S HISTORY
FAMOUS STRUCTURE BUILT BY
SHERIDAN IN 1857.
First Station of Any Great Prominence
In Oregon-Interesting Charac-
tiers There.

The citizens of Dayton are stepping
high these days, for they have the
promise of United States Senator
George Chamberlain and of the Indian
and war authorities that the old Fort
Yamhill blockhouse, which was built
by General Phil Sheridan when he was
lieutenant, and is now on the Grand
Ronde Indian reservation, will be
moved to their city, comments the
Portland Journal. Sheridan, Butler,
Wilamina and Grand Ronde citizens
all wanted the historic blockhouse, but
Dayton got in ahead. Senator Cham
berlain, in a letter to J. r. Simpson
of Sheridan, tells of the disposal of
the blockhouse question.
George II. Hines, of the Oregon His
torical Society, took up the question of
moving the blockhouse from its pres
ent site about ten years ago. 1t now
stands about half mile from its orig |
inal site. Mr.. Hines took up the mat
ter with DR.. Andrew Kershaw, then
Indian agent at Grand Ronde. Dr.
Kershaw suggested that the Historical
Society take charge of the blockhouse,
which was then used as a guardhouse,
but Mr.. Hines informed him that the
organization had no funds. Mr.. Hines
thought, because of its historical asso-
Citations, that the blockhouse should
not be moved from Yamhill County.
Built In 1857.
Efforts were then made by Mr.. {
Hines and others to interest citizens ,
of McMinnville, Sheridan, Dayton and \
other places He suggested that one of
these communities move the block l.
house to its city, build a new roof over =
it. place 1t on a concrete foundation r
and then build a shelter or house over z
it, The proposition has dragged on for h
10 years. =
Fort Yamhill, commonly known as q
Fort Sheridan, was built under the di-
rection of Lieutenant Phil Sheridan
in 1857. Captain David Russell was
in charge of the company and as an
of the strangeness of fate, VI
this same officer, while serving as a Ell
general under Sheridan in tV
the Atlanta campaign, was killed. be
Sheridan, at the time he built the pr
blockhouse, was a second lieutenant eq
An officer of the name of Gardner was WI
first lieutenant
The blockhouse was built just as the WI
Indian wars were closing. 1t is a small as
structure, about "a feet square, and A
vas originally erected upon an emln- tal
'nce commanding the main road into WI
he Grand Ronde reservation 1t Is on
'uilt of hewn timbers, coupled togeth- pr
,r with nd az
ects on two sides, thus permitting the
defenders to shoot at any angle
Wanted Compromise. 49,,
John E. Miller was the first Indian '
gent at the Grand Ronde agency He %
'as succeeded by Benjamin Simpson, o..
.t, a.. - -, '"ii'uei - 0iih psoh' ref,
80 ca,..s i''''ii . '',p'' i'i'I- Sec
'as with Simpson that Sheridan had ~,
ne famous argument over the pros a
ects of the forthcoming war with the =.
,at ~ - ''i,'' u "eu hou
)mpromise with the Southern states
,sinoss 90 l,.o,,,,,S,. -. - -, ,eAt 'n' nigl
ite affairs when he went into the
VII war. He addressed the Indian
rent as "Slmps" ~
Simps' wrote Sheridan while the Fall
ar was in progress, Il was wrong and nut
u were rlght In that discussion about | sta
olVli war was all wrong i'm my was
riy iuea OF compromising ut could othe
nave 'been done and should not not
We peeh zone. spak
Shows Ravages of Time. III
Later, the Federal general wrote: IN
Simps,' l am going into battle, and If "V
all, you will know that | fell under "V
flag of the United States" me O
several officers. then subordinates. see
o later achieved fame in the Civil Cleve
r, served at old Fort Yamhin. one
them was General w. b. Hazen.
according to Mr. Hines there is q
IS OF historical data that could be fH'
wn from the records of old Fort that
mill. So far as can ne Iearnad no teach
agements were fought there hint as this }
old fort was In reality the first Ihe
ION OF any great prominence In ehsas
gon. many Interesting cbaracters iii Sc
lered there. Mr.. Simpson died last ment
mer in Portland. He was 80 years is goil
ge. Monm
ne blockhouse is getting pretty tunltie
~ now, according TO Mr.. Hines.
eds new roof, and he thinks that NJ.
'uld not be a bad plan to strength Woodl
in places to keep it from falling bushel
ieces. lie has suggested TO the been S
ms Of Dayton that It be placed dred.
r shelter, and says that IL would about
etter to enclose Il within another year Il