Fort Aubrey (Hamilton County, near Sand Creek, east of Syracuse, Kansas)

Hamilton County, near Sand Creek, east of Syracuse · Kansas · Indian Wars

Quick BriefFort Aubrey in eastern Hamilton County, Kansas, was established by the US Army in the 1850s and made a permanent post in 1865. Built by companies of the 48th Wisconsin Infantry under Captain Adolph Whitman, the post was located at Spring Creek, midway between Kendall and Syracuse, and was named after trader and explorer Francis Xavier Aubry. The fort was short-lived, closing on April 15, 1866.

History & Significance

An unnamed camp at Spring Creek near the Arkansas River on the Santa Fe Trail was established in the 1850s as a temporary resting place for traveling troops. On September 15, 1865, Bvt. Maj. Gen. W. L. Elliott formally designated it Fort Aubrey, named after the site's original recommendation by trader and explorer Francis Xavier Aubry.

After the Civil War, the U.S. Army stationed volunteer regiments on the western frontier to protect pioneers from Indian raids; Fort Aubrey, built by the 48th Wisconsin Infantry under Captain Adolph Whitman, was positioned at Spring Creek about 2.5 miles north of the Arkansas River. By early 1866, 130 soldiers were assigned to the post, which closed in April.

Following its military closure, the fort served as a station for the overland express and later as a ranch. Fort Aubry is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and Register of Historic Kansas Places.