Located just an hour north of Los Angeles off the I-5 along the grapevine, more than 100,000 vehicles travel past Fort Tejon State Historic Park every day of the year.
Prior to the 1700s, Native American tribes thrived in this area, including the Yokut and Chumash. In the late 1700s the first Europeans are believed to have traveled through the Tejon Ranch area, and in the early 1800s fur trappers followed, then those in search of California gold. Fort Tejon was established in 1854 with the official statement to protect and control the Indigenous Americans who were living on the Sebastian Indian Reservation, as well as to protect the American Indians and white settlers from raids by Paiutes, Chemeheui, Mojave, and other native groups of the desert regions to the southeast. Over the course of nearly a decade, Fort Tejon was said to have provided employment, protection, and social activities for local residents. The U.S. Army closed Fort Tejon on September 11, 1864, officially ending its career as an active military post.
In 1940, five acres, including the fort’s parade grounds, foundations, and remnants of original adobe buildings, were deeded to the state of California to be used as a State Park...and Fort Tejon State Historic Park was born. Restoration began on some of the adobe buildings in 1947 and continues to this day. The Fort Tejon State Historic Park grounds are open daily from sunrise to sunset, and the visitor center and historic buildings are open from 8am until 4pm daily.
For full details on this California state park see my full blog post at:
www.flyingdawnmarie.com/new-b...