Camp Lincoln

The bronze places the post between Indians and settlers. Its real position was between Crescent City and the Smith River Reservation, set aside in April 1862 after the flood ruined the Klamath one. The Indian superintendent had asked for troops at another site, placed to keep whites and Indians entirely separate; Major James F. Curtis chose this clearing instead that September. The same month about 834 captives from Humboldt County were shipped north to the reservation by steamer, and within weeks hundreds had escaped. The reservation lasted barely six years; the camp outlived it.

What the plaque says

Camp Lincoln A United States military post was established here September 12, 1862 by the men of Company G, 2nd Regiment, Infantry, California Volunteers, to keep peace between the Indians and the miners and settlers of northwestern California. It was abandoned in May 1870. Commanding officers quarters and one barracks remain at the date of dedication of this site. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 545 Plaque placed by the California State Park Commission in cooperation with the Del Norte County Historical Society, May 20, 1962.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Crescent City Plank and Turnpike Road — 1.2 mi
• S.S. Emidio — 5.7 mi
• Brother Jonathan Cemetery — 6.1 mi
• Site of Old Indian Village at Pebble Beach, Crescent City — 6.2 mi