Travelers
stopping at
During the Black Hawk War of 1865, the Pahvant Indians began stealing cattle from the nearby settlement and guards were posted around the clock to protect their livestock.
In desperation the settlers sent word to President Brigham Young who authorized them to built a fort. As teams of men were chosen to build the fort, it was decided a contest would help encourage speed in erecting the defensive structure. The winners were to be recipients of a supper and a dance, while the losers had to furnish the food and entertainment.
A
mixture of mud and straw was used to construct the walls of the fort. The
mixture was made by plowing a trench, turning water into it and throwing in
straw, which oxen and women and children from the settlement tromped. The walls
were 10-feet high, 3 -feet by 9-feet at the base and 1 ½ -feet at the top,
resting on a lava rock foundation.
The fort was completed in 18 days by 98 men. It was 550-feet square with bastions at the northeast and southeast corner, and portholes giving a view of each side. The fort was never used for its primary purpose, but instead housed the livestock each night.
A monument was erected on the site in 1937. The stones of the marker were furnished by the descendants of the builders of the fort.
Marker Topic:
Address: S. Hwy 257
City: S. Hwy 257
County: Millard
Marker Text: Erected in
1866 of adobe mud in 18 days by two teams of 98 men as a defense against Pahvant
Indians in the Black Hawk Indian War. Wm. S. Hawley and Isaac W. Pierce,
foremen; John W. Radford, Supt. Opening celebration July 25, 1865, The fort was
550 feet square, bastions at Northeast and Southwest corners and gates in the
middle of each wall. Made of adobe mud and straw mixed by the feet of
oxen, when completed were 10 feet high, 3 feet wide at base and 1 1/2 feet at
top, resting only on a stone foundation.