Fort Ross, California

Infobox_nrhp | name =Fort Ross
nrhp_type =nhl

---

caption =
nearest_city= Fort Ross, California
lat_degrees = 38
lat_minutes = 30
lat_seconds = 51.44
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 123
long_minutes = 14
long_seconds = 33.75
long_direction = W
locmapin = California
area =
built =1812
architect= Unknown
architecture= Other
designated = November 5, 1961 cite web
url = http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=143&ResourceType=Building
title = Fort Ross
accessdate = 2008-06-17
work = National Historic Landmark summary listing
publisher = National Park Service ]
added = October 15, 1966
governing_body = State
refnum = 66000239cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Fort Ross is a former Russian settlement in what is now Sonoma County, California in the United States. It was the southernmost Russian colony in continental North America, and was a thriving settlement from 1812 to 1841. It is a unique site that has been the subject of archaeological investigation and is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

History

Fort Ross was established by Ivan Kuskov of the Russian-American Company in 1812 as "krepost' ross"' ("fortress ross") [Nordlander, p. 10] upon the seasonal home of the native Kashaya Pomo. The Company (Under His Imperial Majesty's Protection Russian-American Company") was chartered by the Russian government and controlled all Russian exploration, trade and settlement in the North Pacific, establishing permanent settlements in Alaska. Fort Ross was the southernmost settlement in the Russian colonization of the region, and was established as an agricultural base to supply the Alaskan settlements. Initially the Company carried on their fur trading business at Fort Ross, but the focus of this settlement was on agriculture and small industry. It was the site of California's first windmills and shipbuilding. Russian scientists associated with the colony were among the first to record California's cultural and natural history. [Fort Ross Interpretive Association] The Russian managers were the first to introduce many European refinements such as glass windows into Colonial California. Together with the surrounding settlement, Fort Ross was home to Russians,which at that time comprised the various nationalities then under the Russian Empire, such as Poles, Finns, Ukrainians, Estonians, etc., [ Pierce] North Pacific Natives and Aleut laborers in their employment, Kashaya, and Creoles.

By 1841 the settlement's agricultural importance had decreased considerably, and the local population of fur-bearing marine mammals had been depleted by international over-hunting so the fur trade was no longer lucrative. Following the formal trade agreement between the Russian-American Company in Sitka and Hudson's Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, the settlement at Fort Ross was not needed to supply the Alaskan colonies with food. The Russian-American Company consequently abandoned the settlement, and it was sold to John Sutter, a Mexican citizen of Swiss origin.

Afterward, ownership of Fort Ross passed from Sutter through successive private hands and finally to George W. Call. In 1903 the stockade and about three acres of land were purchased from the Call family by the California Historical Landmarks Commission. Three years later it was turned over to the State of California for preservation and restoration as a state historic monument; since then, the state acquired more of the surrounding land for preservation purposes. California Department of Parks and Recreation as well as many volunteers put extensive efforts into restoration and reconstruction work in the Fort.

once bisected Fort Ross. It entered from the northeast where the Kuskov House once stood, and exited through the main gate to the southwest. The road was eventually diverted, and the parts of the fort that had been demolished for the road were rebuilt. The old roadway can still be seen going from the main gate to the northwest; the rest (within the fort and extending northeast) has been removed.

Most of the existing buildings on the site are reconstructions. Cooperative research efforts with Russian archives will help to correct interpretive errors present in structures that date from the Cold-War period. The only original structure remaining is the Rotchev House. Known as the "Commandant's' House from the 1940s through the 1970s it was the residence of the last manager, Aleksandr Rotchev. Renovated in 1836 from an existing structure, it was titled the "new commandant's house" in the 1841 inventory to differentiate it from the "old commandant's house" (Kuskov House).The Rotchev House, or in original documents, "Administrator's House", is at the centre of efforts to "re-interpret" Russia's part in California's colonial history.The Fort Ross Interpretive Association has received several federally funded grants to restore both exterior and interior elements. While its exterior has been partially restored, its interior is currently undergoing restoration to reflect the recent research that shows a more cosmopolitan and refined aspect of colonial life at the Fort.

The Fort Ross Chapel was knocked down in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake but much of the original structural woodwork remained and it was re-erected in 1916 with all the American ranch-era modifications that were employed when the chapel was used as a stable and live-stock shed. It was destroyed by fire in October 1970. A few months later the roof of Rotchev House was damaged by fire. The current chapel was built during the intensive restoration activity that followed, but its appearance reflects the American ranch-era modifications rather that the chapel as it appeared in Vosnesensky's 1841 water-colour.

The Russian cemetery on an adjacent ridge has been cleared and the gravesites identified through non-destructive archaeological techniques, primarily soil resistivity.

A large orchard, including several original trees planted by the Russians, is located inland on Ft. Ross Road.

Colonial administrators

Ivan Alexandrovich Kuskov, a skillful Russian-American Company administrator, served for 22 years in Alaska. He was the founder of Fort Ross and was its colonial administrator from 1812 to 1821.

"List of all administrators of the Fort Ross colony:"
*Ivan A. Kuskov, 1812–1821
*Karl J von Schmidt, 1821–1824
*Paul I. Shelikhov, 1824–1830
*Peter S. Kostromitinov, 1830–1838
*Alexander G. Rotchev, 1838–1841

Other meanings

* Along with its status as a National Historic Landmark, the fort itself and the surrounding area (the immediate coastline and the redwood forest some distance inland) are all included in a California State Park under the name Fort Ross State Historic Park.
* Fort Ross also designates the small rural community that exists between the towns of Cazadero, Jenner, and Gualala, with the Ft. Ross Elementary School at its center.

Timeline

* 1784 — Russians settle at Alaska.
* 1799 — Russians establish a post at Sitka, Alaska.
* 1806 — Nikolai Rezanov, Imperial Ambassador to Japan and director of the Russian-American Company, visits the Presidio of San Francisco
* 1808 — Ivan Kuskov lands in Bodega Bay (Port Rumiantsev), builds structures and hunts in the region
* 1812 — March 15, Ivan Kuskov with 25 Russians and 80 Native Alaskans arrives at Port Rumiantsev and proceeds north to establish Fortress Ross
* 1816 — Russian exploring expedition led by Captain Kotzebue visits California with naturalists Chamisso, Eshcholtz, and artist Lois Choris
* 1817 — Chief Administrator Captain Hagemeister conducts treaty with local tribal chiefs for posession of property near Fortress Ross. First such treaty conducted with native peoples in California
* 1818 — The "Rumiantsev, " first of four ships built at Fortress Ross. The "Buldakov, Volga" and "Kiahtha" follow, as well as several longboats
* 1821 — Russian Imperial decree gives Native Americans and Creoles civil rights protected by law
* 1836 — Fr.Veniaminov (St.Innocent) visits Fortress Ross, conducts services, and carries out census
* 1841 — Rotchev sells Fort Ross to John Sutter.
* 1906 — The San Francisco earthquake nearly destroys Fort Ross.
* 1916 — Fort Ross is partially restored.
* 1970 — A fire at Fort Ross again nearly destroys the former settlement.
* 1971 — Fort Ross is once again only partially restored.

Buildings

Climate

The National Weather Service has maintained a cooperative weather station at Fort Ross for many years. Based on those observations, Fort Ross has cool, damp weather most of the year. Fog and low overcast is common throughout the year. There are occasional warm days in the summer, which also tend to be relatively dry except for drizzle from heavy fogs or passing showers.

In January, average temperatures range from 57.0°F to 41.5°F. In July, average temperatures range from 66.3°F to 47.8°F. September is actually the warmest month with average temperatures ranging from 68.1°F to 48.7°F. There are an average of only 0.2 days with highs of 90°F (32°C) or higher and 5.8 days with lows of 32°F (0°C) or lower. The record high temperature was 97°F on September 3, 1950. The record low temperature was 20°F on December 8, 1972.

Average annual precipitation is 37.64 inches, falling on an average of 81 days each year. The wettest year was 1983 with 71.27 inches and the dryest year was 1976 with 17.98 inches. The wettest month on record was February 1998 with 21.68 inches. The most rainfall in 24 hours was 5.70 inches on January 14, 1956. Snow rarely falls at Fort Ross; the record snowfall was 0.4 inch on December 30, 1987. [Weather Regional Climate Center website]

Notes

References

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* Pierce, Richard 1990 "Russian America:A Biographical Dictionary" The Limestone Press, Fairbanks,Alaska [ISBN-10|0-919642-45-4

External links

* [http://www.fortrossinterpretive.org/rotchevhouse.html Rotchev House preservation
* [http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=449 State Parks Fort Ross Website]
* [http://www.fortrossinterpretive.org Fort Ross Interpretive Association Home Page]
* [http://www.parks.sonoma.net/rosshist.html parks.sonoma.net History of Fort Ross]
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/ca/ Early History of the California Coast, a National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage" Travel Itinerary]

See also

* List of forts in California