David McShane came to the Monument area in 1861, on his way to prospect for gold in Summit County. Dangers did not daunt him nor, hardships discouraged him. He later said his mining exploits were not “extensive.”

In the spring of 1865, the Indians were exceedingly troublesome, but he was not attacked. He took up a homestead of 160 acres three miles east of Palmer Lake, later totaling 320 acres. Two years later he brought his family west. In the summer of 1868, the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians made a raid. He built, near his house, a stone round house, with port holes and an underground passage, so that the family might take shelter, unseen by the Indians.

In Iowa Mr. McShane had married Miss Catherine Willard. She was a woman of brave, noble character, admirably fitted for the arduous task of rearing a family on the frontier. They raised five daughters, all of whom married republicans, to his chagrin. David McShane, an intrepid pioneer, passed on May 17, 1907.

The McShane Fort was one of many smaller forts built in territorial ranching settlement areas in the 1860’s. Lucille Lavelett writes in her book, Through the Years at Monument, Colorado, “The first settlers had to be alert at all times for Indians.”

Lucille writes “A circular stone fort was twelve feet in diameter with two-foot-thick stone walls and a roof of logs. Earth covered the logs to prevent the Indians from setting the roof on fire. There were five portholes of which four of them had sliding blocks of stone to close them. The fifth porthole was really a window. It gave the only light and faced the McShane house. From this porthole the families could see if any Indians were creeping up on the house. An underground passage led from the house to the fort.”

She goes on to write the settlers had a ‘Look-Out’ hill where Indians could be sighted and the pioneer families in the area could all take refuge in the McShane Fort.

In February 1950, The Zebulon Pike and Kinnickinnik Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a historical marker on Highway 105 between Monument and Palmer Lake with the fort about 600 feet to the South. The plaque reads, “Old stone fort built at the pioneer home of David McShane, constructed as a defense against Arapahoe and Cheyenne raiders. It was used in 1865 to 1868 as a refuge by the following pioneer families: The Guires, Browns, Jacksons, Shielders, Chandlers, McShanes, Oldhams, Teachouts, Davidsons, Walkers, Demasters, Roberts, Watkins, Faulkners, Simpsons, and Weltys.”

The stones of the old fort are still evident from the historic marker.