Fort Buenaventura symbolizes a period of western history that was the transition from nomadic ways of the Indian tribes and trappers to the first permanent settlers in the Great Basin.
Fort Buenaventura was the first permanent Anglo settlement in the Great Basin and the region that is now the state of Utah in the United States. It was founded in 1846. The fort and the surrounding land were bought by the Mormon settlers in 1847.
The site of the original fort is a park occupying 84 acres. Fort Buenaventura has been constructed on the original site of the fort that was built in 1845. It has been reconstructed as accurately as possible using archaeological evidence and written accounts. The reconstruction was done using construction in use at the time of its original construction, mortise and tenon joints.
One of the most fascinating periods in Western American folklore is the mountain man era - independent and rugged men who fearlessly lived in the Rocky Mountains. There they traded with the Indian tribes, married the Indian women, trapped the rivers for beaver, and lived off the land.
Fort Buenaventura Park is open from April to October. It offers camping, canoeing and meeting facilities.
Photo by Jim Eliason
