Nevada Forts

American Forts: West

NEVADA

Last Update: 05/JULY/2010

Compiled by Phil and Pete Payette - Š2010 American Forts Network

Camp Austin
(1865), Austin
A military detachment was briefly stationed here during a mining boom. The town was founded in 1862 as Pony Canyon.

Cold Springs Station
(1860's), Cold Springs
A Pony Express and Butterfield Overland Stage Station. Intermittently occupied by the military during the Civil War.

Camp Fish Lake
(1866 - 1867), near Dyer
A temporary post that was intermittently occupied to protect settlers from Indian attacks. Also known as Camp in Fish Lake Valley. Located just west or northwest of town along the state border.

Camp (near) Aurora
(1862), Aurora
A temporary post for the CA Volunteers located at Adobe Meadows, about one mile from the town. This is now a ghost town located 20 miles southwest of Hawthorne, along the state border. (See also Adobe Meadows Camp, CA)

Mormon Station (State Historic Park)
(1849 - 1857/1861 ?), Genoa
An adobe-walled compound, enlarged in 1851, that was renamed Genoa Stockade or Fort Genoa in 1855. This was the state's first permanent white settlement. The Mormons sold the fort in 1857. It may have been used for several more years afterward. The Pony Express may have used the fort as a station (Genoa Station) in 1860. The original structure burned down in 1910. A replica of the post is located here. Admission fee.

Camp near Carson City
(1860), near Carson City
A temporary CA Volunteers encampment.

Penrod Hotel Fort
(1860), Carson City
Townspeople fortified the hotel by surrounding it with barricades after the outbreak of the Pyramid Lake Indian War.

Camp Sadler (1)
(1860's), Carson City
A temporary training post located at Kings Canyon in the western part of town.

Camp Sadler (2)
(1898), Carson City
A Spanish-American War training camp established at a racetrack on the outskirts of town, east of the capitol building. The track owner wanted to utilize the course for the fall season, so the troops were transferred to Camp Clark (see below).

Camp Clark
(1898), Carson City
A Spanish-American War training camp located at Treadway Park on the west side of town.

Camp Nye
(1862 - 1865), near Carson City
A depot for CA and NV Volunteers (after 1864) located in the Washoe Valley, about five miles north of town.

Silver City Fort
(1860), Silver City
A settlers' or town defense during the Pyramid Lake War. It was a stone breastwork erected at the Devil's Gate, a narrow gorge which led to the mines of the Comstock Lode.

Fort Riley
(1860), Virginia City
A settlers' or town defense during the Pyramid Lake War.

Virginia City Provost Guard
(1864 - 1865), Virginia City
An Army garrison post.

Camp Hays
(1860), near Fort Churchill
A temporary post of the Nevada Militia occupying a Pony Express station called Reed's Station. The post, located about 20 miles east of Carson City, lasted only one month.

Fort Churchill (State Historic Park)
(1860 - 1871), near Silver Springs
Built by the CA Volunteers to protect mail routes and to subdue the Paiute Indians after the Pyramid Lake War. Also used as a relay station on the Pony Express Route, and as a recruiting station during the Civil War. This was the headquarters of the Military District of Nevada. Originally named Post on Carson River. Often called Churchill Barracks. Ordered abandoned in 1869, but remained at least partially garrisoned until 1871. The adobe fort was abandoned and now lies in ruin. Material from the fort was used to rebuild the nearby Buckland Stage Station (1859) in 1870. An attempt was made in the 1930's to reconstruct several buildings of the old fort, but that effort failed. Became a state park in 1957, including the Buckland station site. Admission fee.

Williams' Station
(1860), near Silver Springs
A trading post on the Big Bend of the Carson River, built by the two Williams brothers. Destroyed by Indians over a dispute with the operators about two Indian women (May 7, 1860). This attack started the Pyramid Lake War. The site is now underwater at the Lahontan Reservoir.

Camp at Desert Wells
(1864), near Fallon
Located about 15 miles north, or west, of town in the Carson River Valley. This may have been the same as the Desert Wells stage station (1861).

Camp Ormsby
(1860), near Nixon
A temporary Army post on the Truckee River, ten miles from Pyramid Lake. Built immediately after the second Battle of Pyramid Lake (June 2, 1860).
(NOTE: there is a Fort Defiance Creek in this vicinity.)

Fort Storey
(1860), near Nixon
A temporary breastwork built by the local militia (June 3, 1860) on the Truckee River, about eight miles south of Pyramid Lake.

Fort Haven
(1860), near Nixon
A temporary earthwork built by the CA Volunteers during the Carson River Expedition (Paiute War) (June 6, 1860). Located on the Truckee River four miles below the town, one mile from Pyramid Lake. Replaced by Fort Churchill in July 1860.

Camp Sage
(1870 ?), near Sutcliffe
A temporary Army post west of Pyramid Lake between Sutcliffe and Constantia, California. Near Flanagan ?

Camp Smoke Creek
(1862 - 1864), near Robbers Roost
A temporary Army post that was intermittently occupied. Located near the Smoke Creek Depot (or Smoke Creek Station) on the Honey Lake stage route. The site is not shown on most maps, but it was located five miles from the state line west of Smoke Creek Desert and north of the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. Replaced by Camp Pollock (see CALIFORNIA page 1).

Camp McKee
(1865 - 1866), near Gerlach
Originally called Detachment at Granite Creek, the Army occupied the Granite Creek Station after Indians burned it and killed its employees. Located north of town and east of Granite Mountain.

Camp Deep Hole
(1865), near Gerlach
An abandoned stage station that became a NV Cavalry outpost. Located several miles northwest of town, about 12 miles west of Camp McKee.

Camp Black (1)
(1865), Massacre Lake
A temporary CA Volunteers post in the extreme northwest part of the state, east of Vya.

Camp Soldiers Meadow
(1862), near High Rock Lake
A temporary Army post 20 miles southwest of Camp McGarry.

Fort McGarry
(1865 - 1868), Summit Lake Indian Reservation
Located on the Applegate Cutoff to Oregon. Originally called Camp at Summit Lake, then Camp McGarry until 1867. It was abandoned and the land given to the Indian Reservation in 1871. Ruins remain.

Fairbanks Station
(1865), Humboldt County
A stage station briefly occupied by the Army.

Fort McDermit
(Fort McDermitt Indian Reservation)
(1865 - 1888), McDermitt
Established by the CA Volunteers (Cavalry). Originally called Quinn River Camp, then Camp McDermit until 1879. The town name was misspelled through a mapmaker's error. After it was abandoned it was converted to the Indian reservation school. It now serves as the Indian Agency for the reservation.

Camp at Otter Creek
(1865), near Fort McDermit

Camp Black (2)
(1865), Paradise Valley
A temporary post for the CA Volunteers.

Fort Redskin
(1865), near Paradise Valley
A settlers' defense of some sort, located east of town.

Camp Winfield Scott
(1866 - 1871), near Paradise Valley
An Army post consisting of only two adobe Officers' quarters, an adobe barracks, and storehouses. Located east of town on Martin Creek.

Camp Willow Point
(1865), Willow Point
A temporary post for the CA Volunteers on the Little Humboldt River, south of Paradise Valley, about 25 miles north of Winnemucca.

Camp Big Antelope Creek
(1863), near Imlay
An Army field camp intermittently occupied during the Civil War by troops from Fort Churchill. Located 15 miles west of town, and about 40 miles east of Camp McKee.

Camp Dun Glen
(1863, 1865 - 1866), near Mill City
A CA Volunteer post to protect settlers from Indian attacks. Located six miles east of town.

Camp Overend
(1865), near Golconda
A temporary Army post that lasted only a few days (June 1865). It was located south of town at Summit Springs.

Camp Lyon
(unknown dates), near Battle Mountain
Located about 20 miles northeast of town.

Camp Winthrop
(unknown dates), near Beowawe

Fort Carlin
(1874 - 1888), Carlin
A military reservation was established on Maggie Creek, one and a half miles north of the present-day town, but a fort was never actually built. The land was then later transferred to the Interior Department.

Camp Elko
(1871), Elko
A proposed post that was never actually built.
(thanks to Marshall Sitrin for providing info)

Fort Halleck
(1867 - 1886), near Halleck
Established after Fort Ruby was abandoned. Located 12 miles south of town on Cottonwood Creek. Known as Camp Halleck until 1879. In 1868 it became the headquarters of the Military District of Nevada soon before Fort Churchill was abandoned. Nothing remains at the site.

Fort Ruby
(1862 - 1869), near Ruby Valley
Known as Camp Ruby beginning in 1867, it was built by the CA Volunteers to protect the mail routes from Paiute and Goshute Indians. The actual location is at the south end of Ruby Lake, near the Overland Mountain Pass. The site is on Fort Ruby Ranch, where two original one-story log structures long still existed until burned down in 1992.

Fort Schellbourne
(1860 - 1869), near Cherry Creek
First called Camp Schell. Troops were sent here to protect the mining town, the Overland Stage, and Pony Express Routes. The Schell Creek Stage Station was established here in 1859. The post was abandoned after the Union Pacific Railroad was completed. Remains of some structures still exist on a private ranch at Schell Creek, about 20 miles south of Lages.

Fort Trinity
(1863 - 1864), Eightmile
Located at the Goshute Indian Reservation between Tippett and the state border. Originally called Eight Mile Station, it was frequently occupied by troops from Fort Ruby.

Deep Creek Station
(1864), near Eightmile
A stage station that was garrisoned by the CA Volunteers in 1864. Located on the state line three miles northwest from Fort Trinity.

Antelope Station
(1864), Little Antelope Mountain
An important stage station located about 40 miles west of Ely, in operation during the 1860's and 1870's. Garrisoned by CA Volunteers in 1864. It had been attacked and burned by Indians in 1859.

(Old Las Vegas) Mormon Fort (State Historic Park)
(1855 - 1858, 1862, 1864 - 1867), Las Vegas
Other names include Las Vegas Fort and Stockade at Las Vegas. It was a Mormon settlers' 190-foot square adobe-walled compound. It is also the site of the first permanent white settlement in the southern part of the state. After the Mormons were recalled to Utah, the abandoned fort served as a stage station. California troops occupied it during the Civil War, known initially as Detachment at Las Vegas, then renamed Fort Baker. The remaining building is the oldest building still extant in the state. Located at 500 East Washington Avenue. Admission fee.

The area below the 37th Parallel (present Clark County and the southern tip of Nye County) was once part of New Mexico / Arizona Territory until 1867.

Fort Call
(1867), Callville
The old town was established by the Mormons on the Colorado River. Occassionally garrisoned by troops from Camp El Dorado. Also called Fort Callville or Detachment at Callville. Located 40 miles east of Las Vegas, and now under Lake Mead.

Camp Williston
(1941 - 1944), Boulder City
An Army Military Police Battalion security encampment, with several small outposts, to protect the Boulder/Hoover Dam and the power transmission lines against sabotage. The camp was originally named Camp Sibert before it was renamed. Three concrete observation stations were built at strategic locations, only one still exists.

Camp El Dorado
(1867), near Nelson
Also called Camp in El Dorado Canyon. A temporary Army post to protect gold miners in the area. Located seven miles east of town on the Colorado River.

NEED MORE INFO: Fort Defiance Creek (see Camp Ormsby)
Towns: Palisade in Eureka County

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