Fort Lyon, Colorado
Fort Lyon, Colorado | |
|---|---|
Fort Lyon (2013) | |
Fort Lyon Location within Bent County and Colorado Fort Lyon Fort Lyon (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 38°05′48″N 103°09′07″W / 38.09667°N 103.15194°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado |
| County | Bent |
| Elevation | 3,888 ft (1,185 m) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP Code | 81054[2] |
| Area code | 719 |
| GNIS ID | 204828 [1] |
Fort Lyon is an unincorporated community and U.S. Post Office in Bent County, Colorado, United States.[1]
History
A post office called Fort Lyon was established in 1862.[3] The Fort Lyon Post Office had the ZIP Code 81038, though the zip code for nearby Las Animas (81054) is also used.[2]
The community was named after Nathaniel Lyon, an officer in the American Civil War.[4]
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.[5]
Some German prisoners of war were buried at Fort Lyon and built furniture and worked on local roads.[6]
Geography
Fort Lyon is located at 38°05′48″N 103°09′07″W / 38.09667°N 103.15194°W (38.096741,-103.152008).
Climate
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fort Lyon has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.[7]
Notable people
- Eugene Davis, a doctor who managed a Veterans Administration facility in Fort Lyon.[8]
- 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.[9]
- Josephine Beatrice Bowman, Navy nurse stationed at Fort Lyon
- Walter McCaw, Army surgeon[10][11]
- William Nathaniel Thomas, Navy chaplain who served at the US Public Service Hospital.[12]
- Kit Carson, a frontiersman who died at the surgeon's quarters in Fort Lyon.[13]
- Laurice Aldridge Tatum, namesake of the USS Tatum, served at Fort Lyon's Naval Hospital.
References
- ^ a b c d "Fort Lyon, Colorado", Geographic Names Information System, United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Travel the Trail: Map Timeline 1866-1873". Santa Fe National Historic Trail. National Park Service. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
- ^ Lloyd, R. Scott, "Wreath-laying honors WWI German prisoners buried at Fort Douglas", Deseret News, November 14, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
- ^ 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