Fort Benham

This former movie set fort was located just south of Benham Falls on the east side of the Deschutes River. A film company was producing and filming near Bend in 1955 and the movie was “The Indian Fighter”.

A Stockade for Hollywood

By Steve Lent, Crook County Historian

This former movie set fort was located just south of Benham Falls on the east side of the Deschutes River. A film company was producing and filming near Bend in 1955 and the movie was “The Indian Fighter”. The production company was impressed with the local scenery but also needed a stockade fort for filming. A site was identified on a rise above Benham Falls on the Deschutes River.

The construction project was a joint venture that was initiated by Byring Productions, Inc. of Hollywood, California. One of the major stockholders of that firm was actor Kirk Douglas, who was also a star in the film. The site was located on Deschutes National Forest land and a special use permit was obtained. The Bend Chamber of Commerce was a key partner in their project, mainly because the organization believed it could have important economic opportunities. Logs and lumber were provided by local lumber mills Brooks-Scanlon and Lelco.

Locals were hired to construct the fort. The total cost was near $30,000. Deschutes County and the Forest Service assisted in building a road to the location. The Bend Bulletin suggested the structure be named Fort Benham since it was near Benham Falls. The name was accepted. “The Indian Fighter” starred in addition to Douglas, Elsa Martinelli, Walter Matthau and Lon Chaney, Jr. In the next few years other movies also utilized the fort including “Tonka” and “Oregon Passage” A television program, “Have Gun Will Travel” also used the fort for filming some episodes.

Unfortunately a wildfire burned in the vicinity of the fort in 1962 and although fire fighting efforts saved the fort the surrounding scenery was scorched and the filming value was severely damaged. Also the site was vandalized and logs used in the construction were untreated and had been placed in the ground and began to decay. The once famous “Hollywood” fort was torn down in 1963. The Forest Service then planted trees on the site and the road was blocked. There is little reminder of the once famous movie set.