Fort Titus, located about two miles south of Lecompton, was a log
house used as a proslavery fortification. It was captured and
destroyed by free-state forces shortly after the destruction of Fort
Saunders.
Fort Wakarusa was a free-state fortification on the Wakarusa River,
about five miles from Lawrence.
Fort Bain was a log cabin in the northern part of Bourbon County which
served as a retreat for John Brown and James Montgomery in 1857 and
1858.
Fort Baxter, a military post, was established by General Blunt in
1863. It was the scene of an attack by Quantrill, known as the Baxter
Springs massacre. After the war the town of Baxter Springs grew up on
the site.
Fort Dodge was one of the most important forts on the western
frontier. It was located to the east of The Caches, near Dodge City,
in 1864. The first buildings were of adobe, but in 1867 good buildings
were erected. Fort Dodge was not abandoned until 1882. The Soldiers’
Home at Fort Dodge was later established on a part of this military
reservation.
Fort Downer was located on Downer’s Creek, about fifty miles west of
Fort Hays. It was in existence between 1863 and 1868.
Fort Harker was established in 1864, near the present site of
Ellsworth, with the name Fort Ellsworth. Two years later the name was
changed to Fort Harker and the site moved about a mile northeast. This
fort was for a long time the shipping point for freight bound for New
Mexico. Fort Harker was abandoned in 1872 and the reservation opened
to settlement in 1880.
Fort Wallace was established near the present town of Wallace in 1865.
This was an important post during the building of the Union Pacific
railroad. It was abandoned as a fort in 1882, and in 1888 the land was
ordered sold.
Fort Zarah was established in 1864, about four miles east of the
present city of Great Bend. It was dismantled in 1869, and the
reservation was later sold.
Fort Hays was established by the National Government, in 1865, about
fourteen miles southeast of the present Hays City, and was for a year
known as Fort Fletcher. In 1867 a new site, about three-fourths mile
from Hays City, was selected. The reservation consisted of 7500 acres.
General Sheridan used Fort Hays for headquarters during the Black
Kettle raid in 1868. It continued to be used as a military post until
1889. In 1900 Kansas secured the land and buildings for educational
purposes. The Fort Hays Kansas Normal School and an experiment station
for the Agricultural College are now located there.
Fort Henning, Fort Blair, and Fort Insley were three blockhouses
erected at Fort Scott in 1861 for the purpose of guarding military
stores from the Confederate forces.
Fort Lincoln was built by Lane in 1861, about twelve miles northwest
of Fort Scott, for protection from the Confederate forces. It was
abandoned in 1864.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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