Richmond Fort

Reason for a Fort

Some of the settlers in 1860 believed that Richmond was not a great place to build a home, so they moved far from each other, spreading out their homes. When Brigham Young visited Richmond, he commanded the settlers to build a fort to protect themselves from Native American attacks. This was one of the main reasons why he commanded them to build a fort. The other is to build friendships with one another. Having men, women, and children from different parts of the world can isolate or alienate one group or culture. George M. Thomson said about the fort, "... we became, as families, very closely associated and each helped the other in sickness and in health. ... The close associations they had together in those days were almost as one family."2

The Construction of Richmond Fort

After the sermon by Brigham Young, settlers started construction immediately for their new fort. The fort was constructed heading east to west, as was the slope of the mountainside they resided, the easiest way for water to travel to the fort; and was the highest point to view the rest of the valley in case of Native American attacks. The fort had two rows of houses with a break in the middle for a road to enter heading north to south, in and out of the city that was two rods (33ft) in depth. Each plot of land had a home facing inward the fort with a garden and yard. On the outside of the fort were fences for cattle, horses, and other animals. The inside of the fort had a courtyard for people to mingle, walk, ride, and perform other activities. A small stream of water ran on opposite sides of the courtyard to water plants and horses.1

Richmond Fort Today

Today, Main Street is what remains of Richmond Fort, and still serves as the city's main road as it did 150+ years ago. In Oct of 1936, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers erected a marker and plaque dedicated to the fort. The marker sits in the southwest corner of where the fort was located, exactly were Beason Lewis's lot was located.

Richmond Fort Members

South Side

B. Lewis - The Beason Lewis Family

Jessie Hobson - The Hobson Family

Henry Standage - The Standage Family

Robert Lewis - The Neriah Lewis Families

W. C. Lewis - The William C. Lewis Family

C. Whittle - Unknown

G. Whittle - Unknown

Thomas Whittle - The Whittle Families

WM. Harris - William Harris Family

A. Harris - Alexander Harris Family

A. Walton Pool - The Walton Family

Joseph Biddlecome - The Biddlecome Family

Peter Tidwell - The Peter Tidwell Family

V. Tidwell - The Tidwell Family

D. P. Rainey - The Rainey Family

Arch Keer - The Archibald Kerr Family

Marian Kerr - The Robert Kerr Family

John Bair - The Bair Family

J. Anderson - The Andersen Family

W. Thompson - The Thompson Family

Geo. Thompson - Unknown

C. W. Funk - The Funk Family

G. Hogan - The Hogan Families

C. Christensen - The Christensen Family

A. Romerell - The Roberell Family

E. Nash - The Nash Family

Ephriam Nash - The Nash Family

Albert Marsh - The Marsh Family

Cash. Lilly - The Lilly Family

Menjar Family

Enoch Daniels - The Enoch Daniels Family

Richard Prater

C. Hyar - The Hyer Family

W. H. Stanley - The Standley Families

M. W. Merrill - The Merrill Family

Edwin Pace - The Pace Family

John R. McDaniel - John Daniel

William Allen - Unknown

Jobe Barlow - The Barlow Family

John Winn - The Winn Families

Joseph Bright - The Bright Families

Gilbert Bright - The Bright Families

John Wiser - The Wiser Family

John Telford - The Telford Family

Jesse Walker - The Walker Family

Wm. McCarrey - The McCarrey Family

Isaac Smith - The Smith Families

M Hoops - The Hoops Family

Chas. R. Lincoln - The Lincoln Family

North Side

W.H. Lewis - William Hendricks Lewis Family

Thos. Petty - The Petty Families

S. Pond - The Pond Family

W. T. Van Noy - The Van Noy Family

Samuel Roskelley - The Roskelley Family

Jos. S. Hendricks - Joseph Smith Hendricks Family

W. D. Hendricks - William D. Hendricks Family

Jas. Hendricks - James Hendricks Family

Jas. Davenport - The Davenport Families

W. Henderson - Unknown

A. Cooper - Agrippa Cooper Family

W. J. Cooper - Vinson J. W. Cooper Family

S. D. Allen - Unknown

Alma Winn - Alma Winn Family

M. Winn - Unknown

Burnham Family - The Burnham Families

M. P. Fifield - The Fifield Family

McCarthy - The McCarthy Family

Henry Gibson - The Gibson Family

Enoch Dayley - Enoch Dayley Family

James Dayley - James Dayley Family

John W. Brown - Unknown

John Cole - Unknown

M. Cole - The Cole Families

John Ash - The Ash Family

Henry Tuttle - Unknown

Walter E. Gardner - Unknown

Justin Shepherd - The Shephard Families

Hyrum Pew - The Pew Families

Justin Shepherd - The Shephard Families

Isaac Shepherd - The Shephard Families

John Richardson - The Richardson Families

Frank Orvins - Unknown

Hyrum Bowman - The Bowman Families

A. F. Stewart - The Stewart Family

M. F. Bell - The Bell Family

Wm. F. Darling - The Darling Family

Wm. H. Wright - The Wright Family

John Albiston - The Albiston Family

Thomas F. Jeffs - The Jeffs Family

Chas. Kerson - Unknown

Stephen H. Goddard - Unknown

Lars R. Jensen - Unknown

John Hibbert - The Hibbert Family

East End

John Hibbert - The Hibbert Family

John Robinson - The Robinson Family

Homer Griffiths - Unknown

Richard - Unknown

Joseph Dobson - The Dobson-Bee Family

John Crosher - The Croshaw Family

Chas R. Lewis - Unknown

Richmond Fort Marker

Photo property of Jacob Barlow. Source

Richmond Fort Marker Plaque.

Photo property of Jacob Barlow. Source

"Pictured from left to right are [Martha Ann Kingsbury], [Margaret W. Thomson], and [Harriet B. Skidmore] at the dedication of the [DUP] Monument in the Richmond Park on October 30, 1936. The Rocks on the monument were some that had been used in the construction of the old rock school in the 1870's and later in the foundation of the Red Brick School." 

Cheri Housley, Marie Lundgreen, Kathy Jones. (2001). Images of America: Richmond. Arcadia Publishing. pg 31

Sources

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