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 in the late 1860s. It was located in what is now northeastern Wyoming. The fort was built along the Bozeman Trail, a path used by people heading to gold fields.
Construction of the fort started on July 13, 1866. It was built by soldiers from the 18th Infantry Regiment. Colonel Henry B. Carrington led the building efforts. The fort was named after Major General Philip Kearny, a hero from the Civil War. It is different from Fort Kearny in Nebraska, which was named for Philip's uncle.
Today, Fort Phil Kearny and nearby battle sites are part of the Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site. The state of Wyoming takes care of these historical places.
Contents
Why Fort Phil Kearny Was Built
Fort Phil Kearny was located near the Bighorn Mountains in northern Johnson County. It was about 15 miles (24 km) north of Buffalo.
This fort, along with Fort Reno and Fort C. F. Smith, was built along the Bozeman Trail. Their main job was to protect miners and settlers. These travelers were moving north from the Oregon Trail to find gold in what is now Montana. This was during the time of the Indian Wars.
Building the Fort
Fort Phil Kearny was built at an elevation of 4,700 feet (1,433 meters) above sea level. It was the largest of the three forts on the Bozeman Trail. The fort had strong log walls that were 8 feet (2.4 meters) high. These walls enclosed an area of 17 acres (6.9 hectares).
The longer walls on the northeast and southwest sides were each 1,496 feet (456 meters) long. The northwest side was 600 feet (183 meters) wide. The southeast side was narrower, at 240 feet (73 meters). The total length of the fort's walls was about 3,900 feet (1,189 meters). Building these walls took more than 4,000 logs. In 1867, even more building happened. This included using over 606,000 board feet of lumber and 130,000 adobe bricks.
The fort was always being built or improved. It was almost finished by December 1866. At its busiest, the fort had about 400 soldiers and 150 civilians. This included officers, a surgeon, and many enlisted men. There were also cavalry soldiers and civilian workers.
Key Events and Abandonment
The Native Americans called Fort Phil Kearny the "hated post on the Little Piney." The area around the fort was important during Red Cloud's War. Two major battles happened nearby: 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 on the trail were left empty. This happened as part of the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868). Soon after, Cheyenne warriors burned Fort Phil Kearny.
In 1960, Fort Phil Kearny was named a National Historic Landmark. This included the sites of the Fetterman Fight and the Wagon Box Fight.
Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site
The Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site is a great place to visit. It has a visitor's center with exhibits and videos. There is also a bookstore. You can take self-guided tours of the fort grounds and nearby battle sites.
The tour shows you where the fort's buildings used to be. A cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) has been set up to look like a soldier's home from that time. Visitors can also explore the battlefields. These are within five miles of the visitor center and have special trails.
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." Robert Fuller played Captain Fetterman.
Fort Phil Kearny was also featured in the 1951 movie Tomahawk. Van Heflin starred in the film. The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) said this movie was very accurate to history.
See also
In Spanish: Fuerte Phil Kearny para niños
