Fort Mary B

Fort Mary B was the first permanent structure in the Breckenridge, Colorado area. It was a wooden stockade built by the first prospecting party in 1859 due to the presence of Ute people in the area.^[1][2] It was named Fort Mary B for Mary Bigelow, the only woman in the party.^[1][a] The stockade covered a couple of acres and had a log cabin at each corner.^[1] The first log cabin was built by Ruben Spalding.^[3] The town of Breckenridge was established one mile south of the site,^[2] which is near the Wells Fargo Bank.^[1]

Fort Mary B
Stockade
Nickname(s):  Fort Independence, Fort Independent, Fort Breckenridge, Fort Meribeh
Fort Mary B The site was located very near the Wells Fargo Bank in Breckenridge
Coordinates: 39°29′16.08″N 106°2′49.9″W
Country	United States
State	Colorado
County	Summit
Nearest town	Breckenridge

It was first called Fort Independent or Fort Independence.^[1] The fort is also said to have been called Fort Breckenridge and Fort Meribeh.^[2] The town charter only list two names for the former Breckenridge area: Fort Meribeh and Fort Mary B.^[4]

Notes

1. Fort Mary B may have been named for Mary Bigelow, the first woman to stay at the fort. Or, it may have been named for a Mr. Mabery who helped build the stockade.^[3]