Fort Mackenzie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Mackenzie
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 Location in Wyoming
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| Nearest city | Sheridan, Wyoming |
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| Area | 295.8 acres (119.7 ha) |
| Built | 1922 |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000612 |
| Added to NRHP | June 18, 1981 |
Fort Mackenzie is a historic place in Sheridan, Wyoming. It used to be a U.S. Army base. Today, it's a medical center for veterans, run by the U.S. Veterans Administration. It's officially known as the Sheridan Veterans Administration Medical Center.
History of Fort Mackenzie
Fort Mackenzie was built in Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1898. It was an outpost for the U.S. Army in northern Wyoming. The fort was named after Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie. He was a soldier who fought in the Powder River Expedition. In 1876, he defeated Cheyenne Chief Dull Knife near the Bighorn Mountains. This event was called the Dull Knife Fight.
The fort was established 24 years after the Battle of the Little Bighorn. By then, other military posts in Montana had already been closed. Some people thought the fort was built more because Wyoming's politicians wanted it, rather than because the army truly needed it. Wyoming had become a state in 1890.
The first soldiers arrived at Fort Mackenzie in June 1899. There was one officer and 20 enlisted soldiers. By 1903, more troops had come, including different groups of soldiers. The most soldiers at the fort was in 1911, with 601 men.
The number of soldiers quickly went down after that. This was because World War I started, and soldiers were needed elsewhere. The fort was closed on November 3, 1918. The original military base covered about 6,280 acres (2,541 hectares) of land.
Fort Mackenzie as a Veterans Hospital
In 1921, the site was given to the United States Public Health Service. Starting in 1922, Fort Mackenzie was used as a hospital for veterans. It could hold 125 patients at first.
In the late 1940s, the hospital was at its busiest. It had 900 beds and specialized in helping veterans with mental health conditions. By the late 1970s, the hospital had 364 beds and a staff of 505 people. In 2014, the facility offered 208 beds and provided outpatient services for 12,500 veterans.
What Fort Mackenzie Looks Like
The Fort Mackenzie area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are 48 buildings that are part of this historic district. The campus looks like a unified community. It has red brick hospital buildings, homes, and other support buildings. They all have simple Neoclassical designs.
The hospital area covers about 272 acres (110 hectares) and has about 78 buildings. Most of these buildings were built for the military base or when the hospital was first set up. Many of the newer buildings, built from the 1930s onwards, match the style of the older ones. The older buildings are arranged in two rows and along a curved road. The whole complex looks very similar to places like Fort Yellowstone or the original army post at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base.
Fort Mackenzie was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 18, 1981.
