The Old Fort

Heber Valley was surveyed and settled in 1858 by men from Provo, who laid it out in twenty-acre plots and picked the town site of Heber. Twenty families wintered here that first year, and for safety they built a fort a block or so from this spot — cottonwood-log cabins set wall to wall so the homes themselves formed the stockade. Inside stood a single schoolhouse that doubled for church and dances. By 1860 the fort had been enlarged to hold forty-four families, and the valley town was fairly launched.

What the plaque says

In 1858 a group of men came from Provo, surveyed the valley into 20 acre plots and selected the town sight of Heber. The following winter twenty families stayed here. As protection from the Indians they built a fort 1 block south and 1 block west from this site. Homes built of cottonwood logs and joined together formed the outside wall of the fort. A school house 20 by 40 ft. was built within the fort with two fireplaces and a stage. The building also served for church and socials. In 1860 the fort was enlarged to house forty four families.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Heber Valley Railroad — 0.6 mi
  A vintage steam train ride through a stunning mountain valley
• Midway — 3.2 mi
  A Swiss-inspired village with a geothermal crater you can snorkel in
• Homestead Crater — 3.5 mi
  A hidden geothermal spring inside a 55-foot limestone dome
• Jordanelle State Park — 5.9 mi
  A sapphire reservoir nestled between the Wasatch and Uinta mountains

More markers nearby

• Peace Treaty- Blackhawk War — 0.3 mi
• Wasatch Stake Tabernacle — 0.5 mi
• Abram Hatch Home — 0.5 mi
• Indian Peace Treaty — 0.5 mi