Fort Dodge (Ford County, Kansas)
Ford County · Kansas · Indian Wars
History & Significance
The site of Fort Dodge in Kansas was originally an old campground for wagons traveling along the Santa Fe Trail, just west of the western junction of the Wet and Dry Routes. On March 23, 1865, Major General Grenville M. Dodge proposed establishing a new military post west of Fort Larned; Captain Henry Pearce with cavalry and infantry companies from Fort Larned occupied and established Fort Dodge on April 10, 1865.
He selected a site located 6 miles east of Fort Atkinson that both guarded the Santa Fe Trail and stood midway between the two major Indian crossings on the Arkansas River, the Cimarron and the Mulberry. The first buildings were sod and adobe, and some troops lived in dugouts; once lumber arrived, wooden buildings were erected.
The post was raided by Native Americans several times, with many horses being stolen and soldiers killed in the raids; in a June 1865 raid, the US Army Inspector-General reported the Indians took every horse at Fort Dodge. In 1868, Comanche and Kiowa Indians attacked Fort Dodge, killing four soldiers and wounding 17.
Because of its location in western Kansas, the garrison was assigned the duty of guarding the Arkansas River from central Kansas into the Colorado Territory; from 1865 to 1878, troops stationed at Fort Dodge were almost continually involved in scouts and marches and played major roles in campaigns. The fort was abandoned in 1882. After much work by Dodge City residents, a federal law was enacted in 1889 authorizing the use of the post as a soldiers' home by the State of Kansas; in early 1890 the Kansas Soldiers' Home was opened on the site.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 1865 Army post on the Santa Fe Trail with original limestone buildings
- Indian Wars–era military barracks and officer quarters
- Exhibits on frontier soldiering and Santa Fe Trail commerce
- Grounds include parade field and period fortifications
- Working Kansas Soldiers' Home with partial public access
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Dodge_(United_States_Army_Post)
- https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-dodge.htm
- https://www.kansashistory.gov/index.php?url=archives/48634
- https://fordcountyhistory.org/ford-county/communities/fort-dodge-2/fort-dodge-provides-reason-for-dodge-citys-founding/
- https://www.kovs.ks.gov/veteran-homes/kansas-soldiers-home-fort-dodge
- https://www.kansashistory.gov/kansapedia/ford-county-kansas/15284