Fort Union NM Landscape: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Fort Union National Monument, National Park Service

Frytag, Amy; Foster, Lance; Curran, Michele

The Fort Union National Monument (NM) Landscape is located in Mora County, New Mexico, about 100 miles northeast of Santa Fe. The monument consists of two separate parcels situated in the Fort Union Valley, an arm of the larger Mora Valley. The cultural landscape boundary, identical to the National Monument boundary, contains the remnants of three distinct forts spanning a forty year period of use. The ruins of the First Fort (1851-1861) lie in the smaller parcel, west of Coyote Creek. The main parcel of the monument is across the creek, and it contains the ruins of the Second Fort, or Star Fort (1861-1862), as well as the Third Fort (1862-1891). This final fort is the largest and best-preserved portion of Fort Union. The three forts establish the landscape’s period of significance, identified as 1851-1891 for its role in the westward expansion of the United States and its association with military power and the development of commerce along the Santa Fe Trail. The trail, which became a major trade highway between the U.S. and Mexico’s northern frontier in 1821, is inseparably linked to the development of Fort Union NM. In 1851, the United States established the first Fort Union to protect commerce and travel on the Santa Fe Trail as it passed through what is now northern New Mexico. The fort provided a base for military personnel, who were engaged in wars with the Apache, Kiowa, and Comanche. In addition to military actions, they acted as armed escorts for mail coaches and wagon trains. Fort Union was as a critical supply depot for equipment moving through the network of other military posts established throughout the Southwest. The First Fort and the Second Fort (Star Fort) were both constructed to provide military protection of transportation on the trail. The landscape is significant for the contributions of several individuals associated with its history and construction, including Kit Carson, Edwin Sumner, Edward Canby, and James H. Carleton. It is also significant for representing the "Territorial" architectural style in the Third Fort, merging eastern aesthetics with construction techniques native to the region. The Second Fort (Star Fort) was constructed of partially underground rooms of pine logs and un-sodded parapets. The roofs and dirt floors turned quickly to mud in heavy rains, and as soldiers moved into tents, the Second Fort gradually eroded to its present configuration. The outline of a star can be seen from higher elevations or by aircraft. Construction began on the Third Fort following a decisive Civil War battle at Glorieta Pass, in which the Union Army defeated Confederate forces. Taking six years to complete, it was the largest fort in the Southwest, and consisted of three separate installations—the post of Fort Union, the quartermaster depot, and the Fort Union arsenal. In 1956, Congress formally established the Fort Union National Monument. At the time the monument consisted of a 637-acre unit that included the site of the Second Fort (Star Fort) and its perimeter ditches, the Third Fort with ruins of 65 structures, and the 84-acre area that encompassed the historic grounds of the First Fort. The Santa Fe Trail ruts wind throughout the site. Although exposure to the elements have irreversibly eroded the original structures, some of the walls still remain. Of all the structures, the hospital retains the greatest structural integrity. The remains of the Fort Union landscape continue to convey its importance as the largest western military depot along the Santa Fe Trail, providing protection for travelers and serving as the principal supply depot for western military posts. The fort played a leading role in changing the economy of New Mexico from one of subsistence to cash, and linking the local economy to the rest of the U.S.

Fort Union NM Landscape: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Fort Union National Monument, National Park Service

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