Is there a fort somewhere in Fort Collins? If not, how did the city get its name?

The Choice City. The Napa of Beer. Fort Fun. FoCo. There's no shortage of nicknames for Fort Collins.

But why do we call it Fort Collins in the first place?

Fort Collins began as Camp Collins in 1862, named for the popular commander at Fort Laramie, Lt. Col. William O. Collins. Camp Collins served as a base for patrolling and protecting stage and emigrant trails.

On Aug. 20, 1864, Col. Collins issued Special Order Number One, calling for a "permanent post on the Cache la Poudre River." This moved the installation from a camp to a fort, which was ready for occupancy in October of 1864. Two and a half years later, the fort was ordered abandoned. The name stuck as civilians who had been allowed to settle on the military ground stayed and formed the nucleus of the fledgling town's population.