Fort Tejon
Fort Tejon was established by the United States Army in 1854 as the regimental headquarters of the First Dragoons. The fort’s mission was to suppress stock rustling and protect settlers from attacks by discontented Californios and Native American tribes, including the Paiute and Mojave, and monitor the less aggressive Emigdiano living nearby. It was abandoned in 1864. The Fort Tejon State Historic Park’s museum features exhibits on army life and local history and the Fort Tejon Historical Association has used the site for Civil War reenactments. The park also has a number of beautiful 400 year-old Valley Oak trees. The historic park is on the National Register of Historic Places and a California Historical Landmark.
Lebec, Kern County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt