The fort was briefly abandoned at the end of hostilities with the Owens Valley Paiute in December 1864.

However, it was reoccupied by the Nevada Volunteers in March 1865, due to renewed conflict with the local Paiute.

The military reservation was transferred to the Interior Department for disposition on July 22, 1884.

[3] When the military left the valley, the native Paiute and Shoshone peoples of the area held various allotments of land adjacent to the fort.

The Fort Independence Reservation was officially established through executive orders Number 2264 and 2375 in 1915 and 1916.