Fort Atkinson (Nebraska) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Atkinson State Historical Park |
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Powder magazine at Fort Atkinson
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 Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
Location in Nebraska
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| Location | Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, United States |
| Area | 154.36 acres (62.47 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,073 ft (327 m) |
| Designation | Nebraska state historical park |
| Established | 1963 |
| Visitors | 40280 (in 2017) |
| Administrator | Nebraska Game and Parks Commission |
| Website | Fort Atkinson State Historical Park |
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Fort Atkinson
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Detail of (reconstructed) west rampart barracks
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| Built | 1819 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000454 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | July 4, 1961 |
Fort Atkinson was a really important place! It was the very first United States Army base built west of the Missouri River. This happened in 1819, long before Nebraska was even a state. The fort was located near what is now Fort Calhoun, Nebraska.
It was home to over 1,000 people, including soldiers, traders, and other pioneers. Some people even consider it the first "town" in Nebraska. The fort had its own brickyard, a place to make lime, a stone quarry, and mills for grinding grain and cutting wood. The Army left the fort in 1827.
Today, the site is called Fort Atkinson State Historical Park. It's a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very special historical place. During the 1980s and 1990s, a replica of the old fort was built for people to visit.
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Lewis and Clark's Visit to Council Bluff
The spot where Fort Atkinson was built had been important for a long time. In 1804, the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition met with leaders from the Otoe and Missouria Native American tribes there. This meeting place was called Council Bluff.
William Clark thought this high bluff, which looked over the Missouri River, would be a great spot for a fort. It was a good place to see what was happening around the river.
Building a Frontier Base: Fort Atkinson
About 15 years after Lewis and Clark's visit, in 1819, President James Monroe sent a large group of soldiers and explorers. This group was called the Yellowstone expedition, and it was led by Colonel Henry Atkinson. Their mission was to build forts along the Missouri River.
These new forts were meant to help American fur traders and reduce the influence of British traders in the northern plains. The soldiers arrived at Council Bluff on September 19, 1819. Building Fort Atkinson made it the first major American fort west of the Missouri River.
A Tough First Winter
The soldiers first built a winter camp called Cantonment Missouri down by the river. They had planned to build more forts further up the river, but they decided to stay put for the winter. It was a very hard winter in 1819–1820.
The soldiers didn't have enough supplies, and many became very sick with scurvy. This illness is caused by not getting enough vitamin C. Sadly, over 200 of the 1,120 soldiers died that winter. Many civilians also died, but their numbers weren't recorded.
Moving to Higher Ground
In the spring of 1820, the Missouri River flooded Cantonment Missouri. So, the soldiers moved their camp to the top of Council Bluff. They renamed this new, permanent camp Fort Atkinson.
Even though the fort was named after Colonel Atkinson, the US government maps sometimes called the area "Fort Calhoun." This was to honor John C. Calhoun, who was the Secretary of War at the time. During the 1820s, soldiers at the fort even took notes about the weather for government research!
Fort Atkinson's Only Battle
The soldiers at Fort Atkinson were only involved in one battle in 1823. Members of the Arikara tribe attacked a group of traders led by William H. Ashley further up the Missouri River.
Soldiers from Fort Atkinson went to get revenge by attacking the Arikara villages. No American soldiers died in the fight itself. However, seven soldiers drowned when their boat hit a log on the way upriver. These soldiers were some of the first American casualties in the American Indian Wars on the Great Plains.
In 1827, the Army decided to close Fort Atkinson. The soldiers were sent to other places, like Fort Leavenworth.
Fort Atkinson Today: A Historical Park
Years later, in 1846, some Mormons who were settling nearby found old supplies at the fort. By the 1850s, when more people started moving into the area, not much was left of the original fort.
In the 1950s, experts from the Nebraska State Historical Society used archeology to find out exactly where the old buildings at Fort Atkinson had been. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission took over the site in 1963.
During the 1980s and 1990s, they rebuilt parts of the fort. Today, Fort Atkinson is a Nebraska state historical park with a military museum. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
Experience History: Living Demonstrations
You can visit Fort Atkinson and see history come alive! On the first weekend of each month from May to October, there are "living history" demonstrations. People dress up in old costumes and show what life was like back then.
You can see people demonstrating old crafts and learn about the jobs of the time. Soldiers also act out what the United States Army was like in the 1820s. It's a great way to imagine what life was like at this important frontier fort!
