Beecher Island Battleground | |
 Beecher Island in 1917: the south channel of the Arickaree River has been closed, owing to the sifting sands of the stream. The Battle of Beecher Island monument is visible in the distance. | |
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| Nearest city | Wray, Colorado |
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| Coordinates | 39°52′13″N 102°11′13″W / 39.87028°N 102.18694°W |
| Area | 240 acres (97 ha) |
| Built | 1868 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000569 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 29, 1976 |
Beecher Island is a sandbar located along the lower course of the Arikaree River, a tributary of the North Fork of the Republican River near Wray in Yuma County, Colorado. The site is notable for having been the scene of an 1868 armed conflict between elements of the United States Army and several of the Plains Indian tribes. The island was named for Lt. Fredrick Henry Beecher of the 3rd Infantry (nephew of Henry Ward Beecher and veteran of the Battle of Gettysburg), one of the soldiers of the engagement who was killed during what became known as the Battle of Beecher Island. The "island" and the courses of the river have been modified by several floods since 1868.
The Battle of Beecher Island was fought along the Arickaree Fork of the Republican River with concentrated fighting on a small island. A few willow trees stood on the island; however, the banks on either side of the river were believed to have had minimal tree growth. Bluffs rise gently from the course of the river. The physical appearance of the actual battleground site was changed by a flood in 1935 which altered the river channel. A monument, erected in 1905, was swept from the island and virtually all traces of the island were destroyed. The major pieces of the monument were retrieved and have been erected on the north side of the river, overlooking picnic and camping grounds.