Collection M 118: Fort Lewis military fort federal records inventory

Links to contents

This collection contains selected historically significant documents regarding the Fort Lewis military post near Hesperus, Colorado.  Records include incoming and outgoing correspondence, much of it indexed; most of the records in this collection are calendars (i.e., detailed item indexes) of correspondence, rather than the actual correspondence.  The information in these records documents the Fort's daily routines, buildings, materials, prices, supplies and supply problems, relations with ranchers and businessmen, toll road prices, railroad shipment prices, court martials, etc.

The post was named after Lieutenant Colonel William Lewis, who was mortally wounded on September 27, 1878 during a military conflict with Cheyenne Indians in Kansas.  He died the next day.  In October of that year, the U.S. Army established a military post at Pagosa Springs with the stated purpose of controlling and protecting both the Southern Ute Indians and the settlers who were moving into the area, and named it after this man.  This military post became Fort Lewis, and later was moved toward a higher elevation about sixteen miles southwest of Durango which eventually became Fort Lewis A&M College, the forerunner of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Administrative information

About the organization of this collection:  The series in this collection are organized from highest hierarchical level to lowest; from most general to most specific.  Because we do not expect to add to this collection, the boxes are numbered in one single numbering scheme starting with 1.  Folder numbers start with 1 in each box.  Items within each series (e.g., correspondence, reports) and within each folder are arranged chronologically, unless noted otherwise.  The previous organization of these photocopies was by the numbered folders of photocopies presumably created by the staff of the Center of Southwest Studies or by staff at the National Archives.

Acquisition information: Fort Lewis College photocopied these documents from originals which are held by the U.S. National Archives. 

Processing information:  Center of Southwest Studies' archival assistants Robin Lyle and Maureen Humphrey arranged and described this collection in the fall of 1998.  The College's original photocopies had been made prior to November 1979 and were on acidic paper.  To preserve the content of the documents and make them easier to read and use, the archival assistants photocopied these photocopy documents onto Permalife™ bond paper in the fall of 1998.  The Center has retained the original photocopies in separate boxes for possible use as backups if needed.  Debra Lehl completed the photocopying and did the arrangement and description of the collection during 1999-2000, concluding in September of 2000.  Archival student assistant Gretchen Gray placed the folders into their existing series in October of 2005 (previously, they were in no logical order -- simply in the order they were copied).  This inventory was prepared by Debra Lehl in 2000 and was edited by Todd Ellison (last revised October 2005).

Related collections at the Center of Southwest Studies are:

• I 070, U.S. Office of the Adjutant General selected general orders and documents re: Fort Lewis (federal Record Group 94) on microfilm (1 roll) (National Archives microfilm publication M 617, roll 624).

• I 086, Fort Lewis records on microfilm (1 roll).

• M 001, Fort Lewis College Archives.

• M 111, Fort Lewis Indian School federal records.

Series 1:   Fort Lewis histories and historical materials, 1841-1967 (bulk years 1865-1891), 13 folders.  This series contains summaries and other condensed historical material pertaining to Fort Lewis.