Unincorporated community in Colorado, United States
Fort Lyon is an
unincorporated community and
U.S. Post Office in
Bent County ,
Colorado , United States. The Fort Lyon Post Office had the
ZIP Code 81038, though the zip code for nearby Las Animas (81054) is also used.
[2]
A post office called Fort Lyon was established in 1862.
[3] The community was named after
Nathaniel Lyon , an officer in the American Civil War.
[4]
History
Several
Civil War missions occurred at Fort Lyon, including the
1st New Mexico Volunteer Infantry, Reorganized , the
9th Kansas Cavalry Regiment , and the
15th Infantry Regiment .
McLain's Independent Light Artillery Battery was an
artillery battery serving in the
Union Army .
The
Sand Creek massacre also occurred in the community.
Fort Dodge was used to maintain order along the
Santa Fe Trail between there and
Fort Lyon .
Galvanized Yankees in the 2nd U.S. Volunteer Infantry traveled from
Fort Leavenworth ,
Kansas , to Fort Lyon.
[5]
Some
German prisoners of war were buried at Fort Lyon and built furniture and worked on local roads.
[6]
The ghost town of
Sheridan , in
Logan County, Kansas , became a railhead for westbound freight to the Santa Fe Trail on a 120-mile (190 km) wagon road to the area.
[7]
Geography
Fort Lyon is located at
38°05′48″N 103°09′07″W / 38.09667°N 103.15194°W / 38.09667; -103.15194 (38.096741,-103.152008).
Climate
According to the
Köppen Climate Classification system, Fort Lyon has a
semi-arid climate , abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
[8]
Notable people
Eugene Davis , a doctor who managed a Veterans Administration facility in Fort Lyon.
[9]
Farmer Ray , former
Major League Baseball player, was born in Fort Lyon.
Edward W. Wynkoop , a post commander at Fort Lyon.
Samuel F. Tappan , military officer
Enoch Steen , United States military officer who commanded at Fort Lyon.
[10]
Josephine Beatrice Bowman , Navy nurse stationed at Fort Lyon
Walter McCaw , Army surgeon
[11]
[12]
William Nathaniel Thomas , Navy chaplain who served at the US Public Service Hospital.
[13]
Kit Carson , a frontiersman who died at the surgeon's quarters in Fort Lyon.
[14]
Laurice Aldridge Tatum, namesake of the
USS Tatum , served at Fort Lyon's Naval Hospital.
References
^
a
b
"US Board on Geographic Names" .
United States Geological Survey . October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008 .
^
a
b
"ZIP Code Lookup" . United States Postal Service. December 15, 2006. Archived from
the original (
JavaScript /
HTML ) on November 22, 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2006 .
^
"Post offices" . Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from
the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016 .
^ Dawson, John Frank.
Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin . Denver, CO: The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co. p. 22.
^ Brown (1963), pp. 45–53.
^ Lloyd, R. Scott,
"Wreath-laying honors WWI German prisoners buried at Fort Douglas" , Deseret News , November 14, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
^
"Travel the Trail: Map Timeline 1866-1873" . Santa Fe National Historic Trail . National Park Service. Retrieved April 19, 2020 .
^
Climate Summary for Fort Lyon, Colorado
^
Virginia - Google Books . January 5, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2012 – via
Google Books .
^ Henry, Guy V.,
"Enoch Steen" , Military Record of Army and Civilian Appointments in the United States Army (Volume II), D. Van Nostrand Publisher, New York, New York, 1873, p. 193.
^ Burdick, Alfred S., ed. (December 1922).
"Brigadier General Walter D. McCaw" . The American Journal of Clinical Medicine . New York, NY: A. S. Burdick. pp. 859–860 – via
Google Books .
^
"Assistant Surgeon W. D. McCaw" .
Kansas City Times . Kansas City, MO. November 28, 1884. p. 5 – via
Newspapers.com .
^ Martin, P. 2.
^
Sides, 2006 , pp. 482–483