Fort Bidwell, California, 1865.
Located near the north end of Surprise Valley in what is now Modoc County, California, Fort Bidwell was built in 1863. Strategically located in the state’s northwestern corner, it was intended to protect travel routes from Oregon and Idaho, including the Applegate and Lassen Trails.
Called initially Camp Bidwell, it was named for Mexican War veteran Major John Bidwell, a member of the California Volunteers. The initial camp was short-lived, abandoned in early 1865, but was quickly reestablished near its original location in July 1865 due to numerous Indian raids. The new post, built of logs, housed two companies of soldiers.
A few months later, the soldiers joined local citizens to fight Indians in Guano Valley, Nevada. They attacked the Indian camp, killing 81 braves, 15 women, and children.
Enlisted Barracks at Fort Bidwell, California, about 1890.
In 1870, the fort relocated again, expanding just to the south. The new location included a parade ground and numerous buildings, including an officers’ row, barracks, a school, a theatre, workshops, cavalry stables, a powder magazine, and a hospital. By this time, a small settlement comprised mostly of ranchers and Paiute Indians had also been established.
In 1867, troops from the fort fought in the Battle of Infernal Caverns with General George Crook against the Paiute, Pit River, and Modoc Indians.
The presence of more and more white settlers on Modoc Indian lands began to incite several skirmishes with the Modoc Indians. In 1872, the Modoc War erupted when U.S. Army troops, including soldiers from Fort Bidwell, rode to the main Modoc camp to forcibly remove its inhabitants. The soldiers were also involved in the Nez Perce campaign of 1877 and the Bannock campaign the following year.
Surrender of the Modoc Indians, 1873, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper
On April 5, 1879, the post’s name was officially changed to Fort Bidwell. For the next several years, the post settled into noncombatant activities. The garrison remained occupied by soldiers until October 21, 1893. The military reservation was transferred to the Department of the Interior on November 22, 1890, becoming the Fort Bidwell Indian Reservation, which included a government Indian school. When the soldiers were sent elsewhere in 1893, the former military barracks were used as student dormitories for the Indian School.
In 1930, the boarding school was discontinued, and the old military barracks were torn down. However, the officer’s quarters still stand. Nearby is the old post’s cemetery. The fort is located in the town of Fort Bidwell, California.
Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2025.
Also See:
Forts & Presidios Photo Gallery
The Modoc – Fighting in the Lava Beds
See Sources.