Fort Phil Kearny facts for kids
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Fort Phil Kearny and Associated Sites
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 Fort Phil Kearny
Location in Wyoming
Fort Phil Kearny
Location in the United States
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| Location | Johnson County, Wyoming, n SR W off U.S. 87 |
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| Nearest city | Story |
| Built | 1866 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000756 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
Fort Phil Kearny was an important army outpost built in the late 1860s in what is now northeastern Wyoming. It was located along the famous Bozeman Trail. The fort's construction started on July 13, 1866. Soldiers from the 18th Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel Henry B. Carrington, built the fort.
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Fort Phil Kearny: A Look Back
The fort was named after Major General Philip Kearny (1815–1862). He was a well-known hero from the Civil War. It's good to remember that this fort is different from Fort Kearny in Nebraska. That fort was named after Philip Kearny's uncle, Stephen Kearny.
Today, you can visit the fort and nearby battle sites. The State of Wyoming takes care of them as the Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site.
Where Was Fort Phil Kearny Built?
Fort Phil Kearny was built on the east side of the Bighorn Mountains. This area is in northern Johnson County, about 15 miles north of Buffalo. It was one of three forts along the Bozeman Trail. The other two were Fort Reno and Fort C. F. Smith.
These forts were built during the Indian Wars. Their main job was to protect miners. These miners were traveling north from the Oregon Trail to find gold in what is now Montana.
How Big Was Fort Phil Kearny?
Fort Phil Kearny was the largest of the three forts on the trail. It stood about 4,700 feet above sea level. The fort had strong log walls that were 8 feet high. These walls enclosed a large area of 17 acres.
The longest walls were on the northeast and southwest sides, each measuring 1,496 feet. The northwest side was 600 feet wide, and the southeast side was 240 feet wide. The entire wall around the fort was about 3,900 feet long. Building it required more than four thousand logs! In 1867, even more building happened, using over 606,000 board feet of lumber and 130,000 adobe bricks.
Who Lived at the Fort?
The fort was always being built or improved. By December 1866, it was almost finished. At its busiest, about 400 soldiers and 150 civilians lived there. This included 9 officers, a doctor, and 329 enlisted men from five infantry companies. There were also 60 cavalry soldiers and 150 civilian workers.
Fort Phil Kearny and Red Cloud's War
Native American tribes called Fort Phil Kearny "the hated post on the Little Piney." The fort played a big part in Red Cloud's War. Two important battles happened near the fort: the Fetterman Fight in 1866 and the Wagon Box Fight in 1867.
By 1868, the Union Pacific Railroad had built tracks far enough west. This meant travelers could reach the Montana gold fields through Idaho. The Bozeman Trail became less important and too dangerous. Because of this, all three forts along the trail were abandoned. This was part of the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868). Soon after, Cheyenne warriors burned Fort Phil Kearny.
In 1960, Fort Phil Kearny, along with the Fetterman Fight and Wagon Box Fight sites, was named a National Historic Landmark.
Visiting Fort Phil Kearny Today
The Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site has a visitor center. Here you can see exhibits, watch videos, and find books about the fort. You can also take self-guided tours of the fort grounds and nearby battle sites. The tour shows where the fort's buildings used to stand.
A cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) has been set up to look like an officer's wife's room and a non-commissioned officer's room from that time. Visitors can also explore the battlefields, which are within five miles of the visitor center. These sites have special trails with information signs.
Fort Phil Kearny in Movies
In 1966, the TV show Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre showed an episode called "The Massacre at Fort Phil Kearny."
Fort Phil Kearny was also featured in the 1951 movie Tomahawk. It starred Van Heflin. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) said the movie was very accurate to history.
See also
In Spanish: Fuerte Phil Kearny para niños
