A military blockhouse was built at the Grand Ronde Agency by Willamette Valley settlers in 1856. U.S. troops were sent to the station that same year, and it was named Fort Yamhill. Army officers stationed there included Sheridan, Wheeler, A.J. Smith, D.A. Russell, and Hazen. With permission of the U.S. government, Fort Yamhill was moved from the Grand Ronde Agency to Dayton in 1911 through the efforts of John G. Lewis. The structure was rebuilt on this spot as a memorial to General Joel Palmer, a pioneer of Oregon, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, founder of Dayton, and donor of this park.