Fort history In 1860, a band of
Paiutes and
Bannocks attacked Williams Station along the Carson River in retaliation for the kidnap and rape of two young Paiute girls by the proprietors of the station. In retaliation, a small group of volunteer soldiers and vigilantes led by Maj.
William Ormsby attacked the
Native Americans, starting the so-called
Pyramid Lake War. Ormsby's force was defeated and in response Colonel
John C. Hays and Captain
Joseph Stewart led a larger force of volunteers and US Regulars to defeat the Natives at the
Second Battle of Pyramid Lake. Captain Stewart, leading the Regular contingent, afterward established a permanent US Army
fort along the Carson River near the location of where the hostilities began at Williams Station. The post was named Fort Churchill for
Sylvester Churchill, Inspector General of the US Army. Construction on the fort began on July 20, 1860, and was completed in 1861. Built to provide protection for early settlers and the mail route along the
Pony Express, the fort became an important supply depot for the
Union Army during the
American Civil War. Average strength during this time was 200 soldiers, but the post was abandoned in 1869, four years after the conclusion of the Civil War. The abandoned buildings were sold at an auction for $750 after the state of Nevada declined to take possession of the property.
State park On October 6, 1932, the state took control of the but two years later deeded the property to a local chapter of the
Daughters of the American Revolution. With aid from the
National Park Service, the fort ruins were partially restored to a state of arrested decay, and the
Civilian Conservation Corps built the current visitor center. In 1957, the fort became a part of Nevada's state park system. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1966. ==Carson River Ranches==