Fort Solomon (Ottawa County, Kansas, Kansas)
Ottawa County, Kansas · Kansas · Indian Wars
History & Significance
Fort Solomon was built by settlers in Ottawa County, Kansas in early 1864 and completed by spring or summer of that year. It replaced the Chapman family's small dugout, which had served as refuge during earlier troubled times.
During construction, the Solomon Valley Militia was organized, drawing about 30 men armed with aging guns and a small cannon, likely a mountain howitzer. The structure was positioned on the east side of a reverse S-shaped bend on the Solomon River.
The fort itself was a settler's stockade of defense—not a military post—built on level ground with the west side bordered by a deeply cut riverbank. From summer 1864 to spring 1865, most area settlers sheltered within the stockade.
The town of Lindsey developed just outside Fort Solomon to take advantage of the protection it afforded, and briefly served as the county seat. Colonel John Kirwin established the first store at Fort Solomon in 1866.
By the late 1860s, as Indian raids diminished, the fort was abandoned. By 1871 only a few cabins remained, and the structures eventually collapsed from lack of maintenance.
Key Facts
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Solomon
- https://www.kansashistory.gov/p/kansas-historical-quarterly-old-fort-solomon-at-lindsey/13131
- https://legendsofamerica.com/fort-solomon-kansas/
- https://www.kansashistory.gov/geog/geog_counties/view/county:OT
- https://www.kansashistory.gov/kansapedia/ottawa-county-kansas/15327