Fort Reynolds (Colorado)

Fort Reynolds was a United States Army post near Avondale, Colorado, during the Indian Wars and the Civil War.^[1][2][3] The site is about 20 miles (32 km) east of Pueblo, Colorado.^[2]

Historical marker along Highway 50

Construction began in 1867 on the 23-square-mile military reservation, which was named for John F. Reynolds. He attended West Point and was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg.^[2] Facilities included barracks, a mess hall, a hospital, a guardhouse, a store-house, a laundry, a corral, a supply depot, and parade grounds.^[2][4] Fort Lyon, which lies 60 miles (97 km) east of Fort Reynolds was closer to the skirmishes with Native Americans, so Fort Reynolds became a supply post, staffed with about 100 soldiers.^[2] In January 1868, soldiers were called from Fort Lyon and Fort Reynolds to manage citizen unrest in Trinidad, Colorado, that began with a drunken brawl. That was the extent of the action seen by the Fort Reynolds post. It closed in 1872.^[2]

In the 1930s, the site had remnants of camp life, including cooking utensils, weapons, buttons, and other items.^[1] A stone marker is located on US-50 at mile marker 333, about one mile east of Avondale.^[2]