Fort Lyon, Colorado Explained

Official Name:	Fort Lyon, Colorado
Subdivision Name2:	Bent^[1]
Unit Pref:	Imperial
Utc Offset:	-7
Utc Offset Dst:	-6
Coordinates:	38.0967°N -103.1519°W
Elevation M:	1185
Postal Code Type:	ZIP code^[2]
Postal Code:	81054

Fort Lyon is an unincorporated community and U.S. Post Office in Bent County, Colorado, United States. The Fort Lyon Post Office had the ZIP Code 81038, though the zip code for nearby Las Animas (81054) is also used.^[2]

A post office called Fort Lyon was established in 1862.^[3] The community was named after Nathaniel Lyon, an officer in the American Civil War.^[4]

History

Some German prisoners of war were buried at Fort Lyon and built furniture and worked on local roads.^[5]

The ghost town of Sheridan, in Logan County, Kansas, became a railhead for westbound freight to the Santa Fe Trail on a 120miles wagon road to the area.^[6]

Geography

Fort Lyon is located at 38.0967°N -103.1519°W (38.096741,-103.152008).

Climate

According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Fort Lyon has a semi-arid climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.^[7]

Notable people

• Eugene Davis, a doctor who managed a Veterans Administration facility in Fort Lyon.^[8]
• Farmer Ray, former Major League Baseball player, was born in Fort Lyon.
• Edward W. Wynkoop, a post commander at Fort Lyon.
• Samuel F. Tappan, military officer
• Enoch Steen, United States military officer who commanded at Fort Lyon.^[9]
• Josephine Beatrice Bowman, Navy nurse stationed at Fort Lyon
• Walter McCaw, Army surgeon^{[10] [11]}
• William Nathaniel Thomas, Navy chaplain who served at the US Public Service Hospital.^[12]
• Kit Carson, a frontiersman who died at the surgeon's quarters in Fort Lyon.^[13]
• Laurice Aldridge Tatum, namesake of the USS Tatum, served at Fort Lyon's Naval Hospital.

Notes and References

1. Web site: US Board on Geographic Names. 2008-01-31. United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25.
2. Web site: December 15, 2006 . ZIP Code Lookup . . United States Postal Service . December 15, 2006 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101122200027/http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown.jsp . November 22, 2010 .
3. Web site: Post offices . Jim Forte Postal History . 25 June 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306120236/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?state=CO . 6 March 2016 .
4. Book: Dawson, John Frank. Place names in Colorado: why 700 communities were so named, 150 of Spanish or Indian origin. The J. Frank Dawson Publishing Co.. Denver, CO. 22.
5. Lloyd, R. Scott, "Wreath-laying honors WWI German prisoners buried at Fort Douglas", Deseret News, November 14, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
6. Web site: Travel the Trail: Map Timeline 1866-1873 . Santa Fe National Historic Trail . National Park Service . 2020-04-19.
7. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=438450&cityname=Fort+Lyon%2C+Colorado%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Fort Lyon, Colorado
8. Book: Virginia - Google Books . Google Books. 2010-01-05 . 2012-12-04.
9. Henry, Guy V., "Enoch Steen", Military Record of Army and Civilian Appointments in the United States Army (Volume II), D. Van Nostrand Publisher, New York, New York, 1873, p. 193.
10. Burdick . Alfred S. . December 1922 . Brigadier General Walter D. McCaw . The American Journal of Clinical Medicine . New York, NY . A. S. Burdick . 859–860 . Google Books.
11. News: November 28, 1884 . Assistant Surgeon W. D. McCaw . . Kansas City, MO . 5 . Newspapers.com.
12. Martin, P. 2.
13. [#sides|Sides, 2006]