Fort Simcoe State Park Cemetery
5150 Fort Simcoe Rd
White Swan, Yakima County, Washington 98951
(509) 874-2372
Directions
The cemetery is a short walk along the path east of the Fort Simcoe Historical State Park picnic area. A sign indicates the way. The state park is located west of Toppenish.
History
Fort Simcoe State Park is a 200-acre day-use heritage park located in south-central Washington, on the Yakama Indian Nation Reservation. The park primarily serves as an interpretive site, telling the story of mid-19th-century army life and providing insights into local Native American culture. Situated in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, the park is found within an old oak grove that is nourished by natural springs. Fort Simcoe was established in the 1850s as a military installation to maintain peace between settlers and Native Americans. Due to its unique historic significance, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in June 1974.
Before the fort was built, the area served as a campground for Native American tribes where many trails intersected. The park’s main feature is its rich interpretive opportunities that explore life during the mid-19th century and the cultural clash that occurred when settlers and Native Americans competed for the same territory.
The fort is situated on the Yakama Reservation and was historically a meeting, trade, and cultural center for Indigenous tribes in the surrounding areas of Washington. Before 1850, the site functioned as a trade center and campground for the various bands of Native Americans that now comprise the Yakama Indian Nation. The fort was constructed in the late 1850s and was operational for three years. In 1859, the military transferred control of the fort to the Yakama Indian Agency, which then converted it into an Indian school. The Yakama Indian Agency managed the site until the early 1900s. The park itself was established in 1956.
We will not trivialize the history associated with Native American Boarding Schools. Numerous sources address this topic in greater detail, which we will leave for others to explore.
According to Find A Grave, the earliest recorded death at the fort occurred in 1866, belonging to Nathan Hale Olney.
Additional information
