Historical landmark
UnclaimedFort Steilacoom Historic Military Road Monument #1
Fort Steilacoom Historic Military Road Monument #1
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This pyramid-shaped rock monument was erected in 1925 by the Washington State Historical Society. The monument recognizes the creation of two military roads established in the Washington Territories next to Fort Steilacoom. Historic Fort Steilacoom and its museum (4 Officer Quarters buildings from 1857-1858) are located across Steilacoom Blvd within the grounds of Western State Hospital.
Money was appropriated by Congress in 1852 in the amount of $20,000 in order to establish a military road between Western and Eastern Washington.
The Fort Steilacoom-Fort Walla Walla wagon trail was started in 1852, surveyed to cross the Cascade Mountains at Naches Pass into Yakima. After lower construction, the road crew ran out of supplies and left before winter, leaving the upper elevation section uncompleted.
In September 1852, the Longmire party of 30 wagons crossed westward at Naches Pass. The wagon train left the Oregon Trail and instead headed towards Fort Walla Walla. While crossing the Cascades, the party met Andy Burge who belonged to the road crew developing the new road. Burge tried to discourage the wagon train from using this route, claiming the upper section was impassable for wagons.
Undeterred, the wagon train continued. At one point, a steep descent required the killing of stock to create leather ropes used to lower the wagons (29 of the 30 survived). Continuing westward, the Longmires followed notes left by Burge which helped guide the wagon train to Fort Steilacoom (arrived October 1853).
In 1854, after the arrival of two companies of the US Army 4th Regiment, the soldiers assisted in the continued construction of the Naches Pass Road.
The "Old Military Road" followed a route from Fort Steilacoom to (currently) Ponders and alongside McChord Air Force Base. From there, it went from McMillian, up Elhi Hill to Buckly. It followed up the Greenwater River watershed, connecting to the White River watershed. It continued upwards until it crossed the Cascade crest at Naches Pass.
In 1857, Congress appropriated another $35,000 to develop a second military road. It was to be built from Fort Steilacoom (1849-1868) to the newly created Fort Bellingham (1856-1860). Military roads allowed transport of goods between forts, allowed settlers to more easily move between locations, and here, allowed the creation of a telegraph line.
Construction of Fort Bellingham began in 1856. US Army Capt George Pickett from the 9th Infantry, who had been stationed at Fort Steilacoom, was sent to build Fort Bellingham. It was built to counter concerns of possible Indian attacks on settlers, coming from Canada.
(A dismantled blockhouse from Fort Bellingham was re-assembled in 1859 on the southern shore of San Juan Island during the Pig War. It was called "Camp Pickett," later to become known as "Post of San Juan.")
Referred as "State Historical Road One" (designated in 1941), it followed along Bryd's Mill Road (next to Bryd sawmill at Chambers Creek/Steilacoom Lake). The Washington Territorial government proclaimed it a military road in 1854, becoming the first official road in Washington State. During the Indian War of 1855-56, the Bryd Road was used by settlers who fled to safety at Fort Steilacoom.
Bryd's Mill Road (now called Steilacoom Blvd) connected to the Puyallup Valley. It followed a route along the current South 84th Street through Tacoma.
In 1857, Captain WW DeLacy began surveying a route towards Fort Bellingham. By 1860, construction of a road, supervised by Lt George H Mendel, had reached Seattle. (In survey documents, 80 chains equalled about one mile, with one chain equalling 66 feet.) The road followed a route from Boeing Field to Beacon Hill to Ballard.
Eventually, the 1857 military road would connect Fort Vancouver to Fort Bellingham, through Fort Steilacoom. Much of this original route (developed from Indian trails that became wagon roads) follows along the current route of Interstate 5.
