Wide View: A wide view from a distance shows a portion of the ruins of Ft. Union. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Framed: Wagon wheels add interest to the wall of a row of buildings which were used for supply distribution. Wagons and an old cannon are a part of the fort today. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos

Ft. Union National Monument is about 28 miles north of Las Vegas, N.M. It is situated on grasslands near the eastern foothills of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in Mora County.

The fort became a National Monument in 1954 and is operated by the National Park Service. The fort was established in 1851. However, the fort was constructed three times in the first 11 years.

The first fort was quickly built and did not last due to poor construction methods. The second fort was more of an earthen fort and did not supply the structures needed for the growing fort. In 1863, the third fort was constructed and remained in use until the fort was closed and abandoned in 1891. 

During its peak of activity, there were more than 3,500 people at Ft. Union, including 650 soldiers. The remainder of residents were civilian support personnel and their families. 

The fort was built for protection from the Jicarilla Apache Indians for travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. It also served as a supply source for other forts within N.M. and there were 30-100 wagon trains a day passing through the area for years.

For a short time, the fort was used as an outpost during the civil war. 

Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country and he shares his photographs, which appear in the ‘Posts from the Road’ series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.

Wagon Wheel: The fort was built in rectangular fashion with long rows of buildings on the four sides protecting the center area. Shown is a view of the ruins of a row of buildings as seen through a former window opening. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

Decaying Wagon In Fort: The remnants of a wagon lay decaying near a wall in Ft.Union. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com

If Walls Could Talk: One has to imagine some of the stories these walls could tell from years past. Ft. Union was in use for only 40 years but they were vital in the history of the area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com