Fort Buenaventura, Utah
Established in 1846 by trapper, Miles Goodyear, Fort Buenaventura was the first permanent Anglo settlement in the Great Basin in present-day Ogden, Utah. Located just east of a bend in the Weber River, the picket-enclosed fortress served as a trading post for trappers, traders, and travelers passing through the region.
In November 1847, Fort Buenaventura and the surrounding land claim were purchased by Mormon settlers for $1,950. The new settlement that soon grew up was renamed Brownsville but was later changed to Ogden after Peter Skene Ogden, a trapper in the Weber Valley.
Though none of the original buildings continue to stand at the old trading post, the fort has been reconstructed on the original site. The rebuilding was painstakingly conducted utilizing archaeological evidence and written accounts to reflect its original features. The fort’s dimensions, the height of pickets, the method of construction, and the number and styles of log cabins are all based on documented facts. There are no nails in the stockade; instead, historic wooden pegs, mortis, and tension joints hold the walls together.
Now the Weber County Park, the 32-acre site, also includes a visitor center, group camping, day-use area, picnic tables, canoe rentals, and modern restrooms. Mountain men activities are held at special times throughout the spring and summer.
More Information:
Fort Buenaventura
2450 A Avenue
Ogden, Utah 84401
801-399-8099
© Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated November 2022.
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