Fort Dalles

Fort Dalles was a United States Army outpost located on the Columbia River at the present site of The Dalles, Oregon, in the United States. Built when Oregon was a territory, the post was used mainly for dealing with wars with Native Americans. The post was first known as Camp Drum and then Fort Drum.

Construction

In the fall of 1849 United States Army troops arrived in the new Oregon Territory. This Rifle Regiment established a military base at The Dalles on the Columbia River. Built in 1850, the log fort was constructed under the supervision of Major Tucker. Prior to the arrival of federal troops, the location had been used as a post by the militia of the Oregon Provisional Government under the command of Henry A. G. Lee during the Cayuse War and was named Fort Lee and Fort Wascopam. The post was built at the site of the former Wascopam Mission operated by the Methodist Mission.

New buildings were built from 1856 to 1858 under the direction of the commander Captain Thomas Jordan at a cost of nearly $500,000. In 1858, the log fort was torn down and a new fort was constructed under the command of Colonel George Wright. Wright was in command of the 9th Infantry. The site overlooked an encampment used by Lewis & Clark in October 1805.