Fort Fetterman, Wyoming — History & Visitor Guide

Fort Fetterman (Orpha, Wyoming, Wyoming)

Orpha, Wyoming · Wyoming · Indian Wars

Quick BriefEstablished on July 19, 1867, on the Great Plains frontier approximately 11 miles northwest of present-day Douglas, Wyoming, Fort Fetterman was built high on bluffs south of the North Platte River to serve as a major base for military expeditions against warring Native American tribes. Named in honor of Captain William J. Fetterman, killed near Fort Phil Kearny on December 21, 1866, the fort was constructed by Major William E. Dye with Companies A, C, H, and I of the 4th U.S. Infantry. The post remained active until 1882, after which Fetterman City emerged as a frontier settlement and outfitting point before being abandoned when the railroad reached Douglas in 1886.

Open to visitors

History & Significance

Fort Fetterman was established July 19, 1867, because of conditions on the Northern Plains at the close of the Civil War, as civilization advanced along the Union Pacific Railroad and the fort was needed as a major supply point for army operations against the Indians. Unlike the Bozeman Trail forts further north that were abandoned under the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, Fort Fetterman remained on the south side of the Platte as the northernmost military post in eastern Wyoming, important to protecting the Bozeman Trail and settler routes.

Though considered a hardship post with severe winters, officers and men endured difficult conditions of exposed canvas quarters and violent winds. During the 1876 Great Sioux War, the fort became the launching point for major expeditions, including Colonel Joseph J. Reynolds' Big Horn Expedition ending in defeat at Powder River in March, General George Crook's Yellowstone Expedition engaging at the Battle of Rosebud in June, and Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie's Powder River Expedition that destroyed a Cheyenne village in the Dull Knife Fight in November.

Notable figures including Jim Bridger, Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, and Buffalo Bill Cody visited the fort. After military abandonment in 1882, Fetterman City grew into a rowdy frontier town; novelist Owen Wister later used it as the model for his fictional town Drybone in his novel Lin McLean. The State of Wyoming purchased the site in 1962 and operates it as a historic site.

Key Facts

StateWyoming

LocationOrpha, Wyoming

Established1867

Decommissioned1882

War / eraIndian Wars

Current statusMuseum / Historic Site

Coordinates42.84027778, -105.4797222

NRHP reference69000187

Map

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🧳 Visiting

What you’ll see when you visit:

Partially restored buildings with exhibits on Indian Wars military operations
Interpretive trails exploring the 1867 fort's role as a supply and staging post
Great Plains landscape setting near Douglas, Wyoming
Officer's quarters and other original structures from the frontier military era

Best time to visitSpring (April-May) and fall (September-October) offer pleasant weather; Wyoming winters are severe and summers can be hot and dry on the Great Plains.

Getting thereNearest airport is Casper-Natrona County International (CPR), approximately 80 km south; the fort is near Douglas, Wyoming.

From the nearest major airportCasper-Natrona County International Airport (CPR)🚗 66 mi by road⏱️ ≈ 1 hr 20 min drive

Fort Fetterman (Orpha, Wyoming, Wyoming)

History & Significance

Key Facts

Map

🧳 Visiting

Sources

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