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The Klickitat County News, Goldendale, WA., February 27, 1936, page 9

BLOCKHOUSE DATA FOUND
T.D. Adams, on Request of Nephew, Gives Original Construction Data

Roy E. Adams, resident of the Blockhouse district, and a member of an old family that resided in that area for many years, saw the recent request in The News for data which would prove of historical value concerning the Blockhouse which now stands near the city park south of the county cottage. Mr. Adams wrote to an uncle, T.D. Adams, now a resident of Newberg, Oregon, Route 1, and asked him for some information that he was certain the elder Adams knew. A copy of The News was sent to the Oregon man and this week his interesting and probably valuable research is printed below, in exactly the same style and wording as was handed this paper: Fort Blockhouse was built at the beginning of the Yakima Indian war of 1855-56. In September, 1856, Indian Agent Bolan, was murdered in the Simcoe Mts. And his body, with that of his horse, was buried by a Yakima Indain. Major Haller, with one hundred men, was sent from The Dalles, Oregon, to investigate the murder and the cause. When some 60 miles from The Dalles he was attacked by more that one thousand Indians on October 6, and held out for three days. He managed to send, by night, a message to The Dalles, telling of his plight, and Lieutenant Day with 45 men was sent to his relief. They met Haller on his retreat in Klickitat valley and built a blockhouse. This was in October, 1855. The next year a military road was built from The Dalles to Fort Simcoe. Fort Blockhouse was a two-story log building surrounded by an 8 foot stockade. United States cavalry was kept there until 1860. Willis Jenkins, with a large band of horses and cattle settled near the fort in 1859. When the soldiers abandoned the fort the next year he filed on the tract of land having the fort. The fort was used for a residence for years, until a new house was built about 1880, then used as a storage and granary. A family by the name of Green lived there for years, built the new house and kept the post office. Fort Blockhouse was ½ mile north of the present Blockhouse store and at the foot of Blockhouse Butte.

T.D. ADAMS Newberg, Oregon, R.F.D. No. 1