Fort McKinney (Wyoming) facts for kids

Fort McKinney was an important military base in northeastern Wyoming. It was active from 1877 to 1894, located near the Powder River. This fort played a key role in the history of the American West.

Why Fort McKinney Was Built

Fort McKinney was named after Second Lieutenant John McKinney. He was a brave soldier from the 4th United States Cavalry Regiment. Lieutenant McKinney was killed in a battle called the Dull Knife Fight on November 25, 1876. This fight happened near the Powder River in Wyoming Territory.

The fort was built in 1877. This was right after a big battle where Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer and his 7th Cavalry were defeated. This famous battle was the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876. The U.S. Army wanted to make sure they had strong bases in the area.

Fort McKinney was first built on the Powder River. Later, it moved to the Clear Fork of the Powder River. This new spot was close to where the town of Buffalo, Wyoming is today.

Soldiers at the Fort

Soldiers from the 6th United States Cavalry Regiment served at Fort McKinney. Also, soldiers from the 9th United States Cavalry Regiment were stationed there. The 9th Cavalry was special. It was one of only four U.S. Army regiments made up entirely of African-American soldiers during the Indian Wars. These brave soldiers were often called "Buffalo Soldiers."

Some companies from the 6th Cavalry at Fort McKinney were involved in a conflict. This conflict was known as the "Johnson County War" in Wyoming. Fort McKinney closed down in 1894. The land and buildings were given to the State of Wyoming. In 1903, the site became the Wyoming Soldiers and Sailors Home.

Fort McKinney's First Location (1877-1878)

The name Fort McKinney was first given to a military post called Cantonment Reno. This post was on the Powder River. It was near an old trail called the Bozeman Trail.

Years before, in 1865, a fort called Fort Connor (later renamed Fort Reno) was built nearby. But it was abandoned in 1868 after a peace treaty. Native American tribes then burned the fort.

Cantonment Reno's Role

Cantonment Reno was set up again in late 1876. It was about three miles from the old Fort Reno site. In just three months, 42 buildings were put up. These included storage areas, living quarters, and a hospital.

It started as a temporary base for General George Crook's 1876 Big Horn Expedition. This expedition was part of a big campaign against the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. This campaign began after General George A. Custer's defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

On November 25, 1876, a part of General Crook's army attacked a Cheyenne village. This happened on the Red Fork of the Powder River. It was called the Dull Knife Fight. The army surprised the Cheyenne people. They drove men, women, and children out into freezing temperatures and snow. Cantonment Reno helped by providing supplies for the attack. It also gave basic care to the wounded soldiers after the battle.

Second Lieutenant John A. McKinney died in this battle. In January 1877, Cantonment Reno was renamed Fort McKinney to honor him.

Moving to a New Spot (1878-1894)

By 1878, the first Fort McKinney site had problems. There wasn't enough wood, food for horses, or water. So, the army decided to move Fort McKinney. They chose a new location 45 miles northwest. This new spot was on the Clear Fork of the Powder River.

The new Fort McKinney was built on high ground north of the Clear Fork. It was only a few miles from the Big Horn Mountains. This site is about two miles west of today's Buffalo, Wyoming.

Construction at the new Fort McKinney began in 1878. Two companies of the 9th Infantry started the work. When it was fully built, the new fort had many buildings. These included homes for seven companies of troops, officers' quarters, a warehouse, offices, a bakery, a dairy, and a hospital. There were also other buildings for support.

Fort McKinney's Changing Purpose

When Fort McKinney was built on the Clear Fork in 1878, its main goal was to support army actions. These actions aimed to move Sioux and Cheyenne Native American groups. These groups lived in the Powder River country. This area was their traditional buffalo hunting ground.

These lands were given to the Sioux in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. It was a hunting area to add to their reservation lands. Since the 1860s, some Native American groups, like Sitting Bull's Sioux band, lived in this hunting area all year. They never went to the reservations.

Gold Rush and Conflict

In 1874, gold was found on the Sioux Reservation in the Black Hills. This caused many miners to rush into the area. They went to places like Deadwood and Lead. The United States asked the Sioux to give back the Black Hills area. The Sioux refused. This led to the Great Sioux War of 1876. During this war, the Sioux defeated General George A. Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The U.S. Army used this defeat as a reason to start a huge campaign. Starting in late 1876, they worked to stop the Sioux and Cheyenne from living their traditional nomadic life. They wanted to force these groups out of their hunting lands. The goal was to move them onto reservations along the Missouri River.

By the end of 1878, these army campaigns had succeeded. The Sioux and Cheyenne bands who lived in the Powder River country moved to reservations. Some, like Sitting Bull, fled to Canada. This quickly ended the active fighting against Native American groups in the Powder River Basin.

New Roles for the Fort

With the end of the Indian Wars, Fort McKinney's role changed. It now helped keep peace between different tribes. These included the Shoshoni, Arapahoe, and Crow tribes. They had reservations in the area. The fort also helped prevent problems between these tribes and new settlers.

Native American groups soon relied on government food on the reservations. This meant they stayed in their reservation areas. As this happened, the fort's role changed again. It started providing safety and support to the civilians living nearby. The presence of Fort McKinney helped the nearby town of Buffalo, Wyoming, start in 1879.

Between 1878 and 1882, "hide hunters" quickly killed off the huge buffalo herds. These herds used to roam the Powder River country. The buffalo hides were sent east, mostly for industrial belts.

In the same period, the now empty grasslands attracted business people. They started the Wyoming cattle industry. They used the Union Pacific Railroad to ship their cattle to market. The fort's presence helped the growing cattle industry in the Powder River grasslands.

Fort McKinney soldiers built and kept up the first telegraph line in the region. They also guarded the Rock Creek Stage Line. This line carried mail, passengers, and goods. It ran over 200 miles across mostly empty land. Fort McKinney was near the middle of the line, which helped prevent trouble along the route.

In the 1880s and 1890s, units of the 6th Cavalry and the 9th Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) were at the fort. Famous soldiers served there, including Sgt. John Nihill and Charles B. Gatewood. Lt. Gatewood is known for his interactions with the Apache leader Geronimo. Sgt. Nihill was famous for his bravery and his amazing rifle skills.

Fort McKinney and the Johnson County War

On April 13, 1892, soldiers from the 6th Cavalry at Fort McKinney received orders. President Benjamin Harrison told them to get involved in Wyoming's Johnson County War.

The soldiers were ordered to arrest about 40 people. These were mostly gunmen from Texas and some Wyoming ranchers. They were trapped at the TA ranch, south of Buffalo. Angry citizens from Buffalo and Johnson County had surrounded them. The ranchers had hired these gunmen to "invade" Johnson County. They planned to kill men they thought were cattle thieves. The citizens had armed themselves and surrounded the "invaders." They were about to burn them out of the ranch buildings when the cavalry arrived just in time.

Lieutenant Gatewood's Injury

Lt. Charles B. Gatewood was a U.S. cavalry officer. He became famous in 1886 for convincing the Apache war leader Geronimo to surrender. In September 1891, Lt. Gatewood was assigned to the 6th Cavalry at Fort McKinney.

After the events of April 1892, on May 18, 1892, cowboys from a local ranch set fire to the Post Exchange at Fort McKinney. They also put gunpowder in a barracks stove as a bomb. Gatewood was helping to put out the fire. He was injured by the bomb blast in the barracks. His left arm was badly hurt, making him unable to serve in the Cavalry. He was discharged in November 1892 and died a year later.

The powerful ranchers in Wyoming wanted black troops sent to Wyoming. They believed this would stop any friendly feelings between small ranchers and white soldiers. Soon after, the Ninth Cavalry, the "Buffalo Soldiers," was ordered to Fort McKinney. They replaced the Sixth Cavalry.

Fort McKinney Closes (1894)

In 1894, Fort McKinney was closed. Some buildings were sold off. The rest, along with a large piece of land, were given by the U.S. government to the state of Wyoming. After this transfer, most of the remaining buildings were changed or taken apart.

In 1903, Wyoming created the Wyoming Soldiers and Sailors Home at the site. The old fort hospital building was moved from its original spot. Today, it is the visitors' house for the home. The only other buildings left at the site are a stable (now a garage) and the dairy. Some old foundations can also be seen.

Visiting Fort McKinney Today

The site of the first Fort McKinney, also known as Cantonment Reno, is in Johnson County, Wyoming. It's in an open prairie area near the Powder River. No buildings or major ruins from 1876-77 remain. You can visit it year-round, depending on the weather.

The site of the second Fort McKinney is on the Clear Fork of the Powder. A highway sign marks its location. You can find it about two miles west of Buffalo, Wyoming, on U.S. Highway 16.