Military in the Mojave
19th Century
In the 19th century, the U.S. Army established forts and camps in the Mojave Desert to protect settlers, travelers, and mail routes. The Mojave Road became a military wagon road in 1859, with Fort Mojave and Camp Cady securing key points. Other sites like Bitter Springs (now Fort Irwin), Fort Tejon, and Camp Independence protected vital routes and water sources. Military expeditions included the Camel Corps and responses to Indigenous resistance, such as the 1858 Mojave attacks. These efforts shaped the region, ensuring safer travel while facilitating federal control over desert lands.
Camp Cady - 1863, Rudolph D'Heureuse
Mojave Road
With increasing westward exploration and settlement in the 19th century, the route became a military wagon road in 1859 when Fort Mojave on the Colorado River was established. The U.S. Army improved the road in the late 1860s and established outposts for the safety of supply wagons, mail, and travelers.Other Camps & Forts
Bitter Springs
From one of the first places to be recorded in historical journals, Bitter Springs evolved into today's Fort Irwin.Fort Tejon
The post was intended to guard the pass through the Tehachapi Mountains, to control the areas tribes, and to protect ...Camp Independence
Never officially designated a fort, it was established to provide protection for the area's miners, who were troubled by ...Camp Resting Springs
This desert outpost was intermittently occupied during 1859-60 by regular troops to protect a precious waterhole on the old Spanish Trail between ...Camp Eldorado
San Bernardino Camps
Military History in the Mojave Preserve
Conflict between Native Americans and Euro-Americans was the catalyst for the establishment of a lasting federal legacy in the Mojave desert. The Mojave attacked emigrant wagon trains in 1858, prompting a substantial military response. ...The Military Era
Expeditions
Camel Corps
Paiute War
The Mojave Route in 1863
Forts & Outposts