Fort Lyon, Colorado
Unincorporated community
Coordinates: 38°05′48″N 103°09′07″W / 38.09667°N 103.15194°W / 38.09667; -103.15194
Country United States
State Colorado
CountiesBent[1]
Elevation
[1]
3,888 ft (1,185 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-6 (MDT)
ZIP code[2]
81054
Area code719

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

References

  1. ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Post offices". Jim Forte Postal History. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Brown (1963), pp. 45–53.
  6. ^ Lloyd, R. Scott, "Wreath-laying honors WWI German prisoners buried at Fort Douglas", Deseret News, November 14, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
  7. ^ "Travel the Trail: Map Timeline 1866-1873". Santa Fe National Historic Trail. National Park Service. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  8. ^ Climate Summary for Fort Lyon, Colorado
  9. ^ Virginia - Google Books. January 5, 2010. Retrieved December 4, 2012 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "Assistant Surgeon W. D. McCaw". Kansas City Times. Kansas City, MO. November 28, 1884. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Martin, P. 2.
  14. ^ Sides, 2006, pp. 482–483
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