The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the young United States of America.  The land had been occupied for centuries by Native American tribes but white settlers began to immigrate, many of them via the Oregon Trail.  There were inevitable cultural clashes between the two groups, some violent.  The U.S. government sent in the Calvary.

Some U.S. soldiers listed were stationed in Harney County and their presence is referenced by geographic locations.  Other camps and landforms were named in honor of military personnel who never visited Oregon territory.

Wright was a career military man and West Point graduate, involved with skirmishes with northwest tribes but never visited Harney County.  He was put in command of “The Department of Oregon” which encompassed now Washington state and most of Oregon.  During the Civil War he was moved to southern California to protect frontier settlers, monitor secessionists and keep the coast secure.  He and his wife were aboard a steamboat to transport them to his next command, the Department of Columbia (the present states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of California) when the boat sank.  Wright and his wife both died.

Camp Wright and Wright’s Point were named in his honor.  Camp Wright was also called Adobe Camp because it was constructed of Sod.