▁from ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Fort ▁Eg bert ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 , ▁during ▁the ▁Kl ond ike ▁Gold ▁R ush , ▁as ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁headquarters ▁in ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁Al aska . ▁It ▁was ▁named ▁by ▁U . S . ▁President ▁William ▁McK in ley ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁Colonel ▁Harry ▁C . ▁Eg bert , ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁battle ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁in ▁Man ila . ▁ ▁The ▁base ▁was ▁constructed ▁next ▁to ▁E agle ▁Bl uff , ▁a ▁rock y ▁out cro pping ▁over looking ▁E agle , ▁a ▁Y uk on ▁River ▁min ing ▁community ▁near ▁the ▁Canada – US ▁border . ▁E agle , ▁which ▁was ▁established ▁on ▁a ▁military ▁res ervation , ▁was ▁placed ▁under ▁the ▁juris diction ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁base ▁" until ▁such ▁time ▁as ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁civil ▁government ▁may ▁be ▁established ." ▁E agle ▁was ▁released ▁from ▁mart ial ▁law ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁ ▁Fort ▁Eg bert ▁was ▁designated ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁station ▁in ▁the ▁Washington - Al aska ▁Military ▁C able ▁and ▁Te legraph ▁System ▁( W AM CAT S ), ▁a ▁network ▁of ▁te legraph ▁lines ▁connecting ▁Al aska ▁with ▁the ▁cont igu ous ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁first ▁link ▁in ▁the ▁system ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁running ▁from ▁Daw son