Fort Osage facts for kids
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Fort Osage
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Fort Osage from the west. The "factory" trading post is on the left.
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sibley, Missouri |
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| Built | 1808 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000418 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | November 5, 1961 |
Fort Osage was an important trading post and military fort in western Missouri. It was built by the United States Government in the early 1800s. You can find it today in Sibley, Missouri. The fort was also known as Fort Clark or Fort Sibley.
In 1808, the US signed a deal called the Treaty of Fort Clark with some members of the Osage Nation. This treaty said the US would build Fort Osage. The fort would be a place for trade and would help protect the Osage people from other tribes.
Fort Osage was one of three forts built by the U.S. Army. These forts helped the US control the new lands from the Louisiana Purchase. This was a huge area west of the Mississippi River. Fort Madison in Iowa helped control trade in the Upper Mississippi River. Fort Belle Fontaine, near St. Louis, watched over the mouth of the Missouri River.
Fort Osage stopped operating in the 1820s. By then, the Osage had given up most of their land in Missouri to the US. A copy of the fort was built on the same spot between 1948 and 1961. The Fort Osage High School and its school district are named after this historic fort.
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Why Fort Osage Was Built
In June 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Missouri River. They were looking for a water route to the Pacific Ocean. They camped near this spot and noticed it was a great place for a fort. It was high up, about 70 feet above the river.
Later that year, Pierre Chouteau, a fur trader and agent for the Osage, took Osage chiefs to meet President Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson promised to build them a trading post. He wanted government trading posts to help Native Americans. He believed these posts would offer fair prices. This would make private traders leave the area. It would also help the US make friends with the Native American tribes.
Building the Fort
In September 1808, William Clark led a team back to the site. They started building Fort Osage. Two months later, Pierre Chouteau worked out the Treaty of Fort Clark with the Osage Nation. The treaty said the fort would protect the Osage.
The treaty stated that the United States wanted peace and friendship with the Osage. The US would build a fort on the Missouri River. It would have soldiers to protect friendly Osage people. These Osage had to follow the advice of the US President.
In return for using the trading post, the Osage agreed to give up their lands east of the fort. This left them with a smaller area on the western edge of what is now Missouri. The Great Osage tribe received $1,000. The Little Osage tribe received $500. The government trading post opened in 1808. It later moved to Arrow Rock in 1813.
Life at the Fort
Captain Eli Clemson officially named the fort "Fort Osage." He was in charge of the soldiers there from 1808 until 1813. People also called it "Fort Clark" after William Clark. It was one of the first US military bases in the Louisiana Territory. It became a popular stop for travelers on the Missouri River.
Famous people visited the fort. Daniel Boone, a famous explorer, came in 1816 when he was 82 years old. He was on one of his last hunting trips. Sacagawea, who helped the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also stayed at the fort. She was traveling north to Dakota Territory with her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau.
The Fort Closes and Reopens
Fort Osage was left empty in June 1813 during the War of 1812. There was no real threat to the fort. Most of the fighting was happening far away. So, the soldiers were sent to other places. After the war ended, the fort was used again in 1815.
For many years, Fort Osage was a busy trading spot. The first manager, George C. Sibley, reported good trade with the Osage. He said goods were sold for "less than half what the traders extort from them."
Why the Fort Was Abandoned
After the War of 1812 and the Adams–Onís Treaty, there was less danger from other countries. The Osage people also gave up more and more of their land. So, the US built a new trading post at Fort Scott, Kansas. This new fort was closer to the Osage villages.
Fort Osage officially closed in 1822. But it remained a landmark on the Santa Fe Trail. It was a place where supplies were moved north. By 1836, the fort was gone. Local settlers used its pre-cut wood to build their own homes and barns. The last building, the factory house, burned down. Only its rock foundation remained.
Fort Osage National Historic Landmark
In the 1940s, archaeologists found the old foundations of Fort Osage. The fort was rebuilt to look exactly as it did in 1812. They used old maps and surveys made by William Clark. This helped them make a very accurate copy.
The rebuilt fort is now called the Fort Osage National Historic Landmark. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Jackson County Parks and Recreation of Missouri owns and runs the site. You can visit it Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM all year.
The Fort Osage Education Center opened in 2007. It has exhibits about the area's geology and nature from the 1800s. You can learn about the Hopewell and Osage cultures. There are also displays about Lewis and Clark, Fort Osage, and the Missouri River. Plus, you can see people dressed up. They show what life was like for soldiers and civilians in the early 1800s.
