The Fort Built to Keep Settlers Out
The Fort Built to Keep Settlers Out When you look at the weathered gray logs of the historic blockhouse in Dayton’s Courthouse Square Park, you probably picture pioneers hiding inside, defending themselves from the wild frontier. But history is rarely that simple. Built in 1856, this structure wasn't designed to protect white settlers from Native Americans. It was built to do the exact opposite. The U.S. Army constructed this blockhouse at Fort Yamhill on the absolute border of the newly formed Grand Ronde Reservation. Its primary, everyday mission was to act as a buffer zone. Instead of looking outward at an enemy, the soldiers inside were tasked with looking both ways : Stopping Illegal Intrusion: Keeping white settlers from crossing onto reservation land to steal resources or commit violence against displaced Native communities. Driven by racial vigilantism and "extermination" mindsets, white volunteer militias often operated completely outside federal laws, viewing...
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