Fort Scott National Historic Site facts for kids
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Fort Scott National Historic Site
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 Location in Kansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | Old Fort Blvd., Fort Scott, Kansas |
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| Nearest city | Fort Scott, Kansas |
| Area | 17 acres (0.07 km²) |
| Built | 1842 |
| Architect | United States Army |
| Visitation | 22,314 (2007) |
| Website | Fort Scott National Historic Site |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000106 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHLD | July 19, 1964 |
| Designated NHS | October 19, 1978 |
Fort Scott National Historic Site is a special historical place in Bourbon County, Kansas. It is managed by the National Park Service.
The fort was named after General Winfield Scott, a famous soldier. In the mid-1800s, it was a military base for the U.S. Army. At that time, this area was the very edge of where people were settling in America.
For about 25 years, Fort Scott was a supply center. It also helped keep peace in a changing region. This period included important events like Bleeding Kansas and the American Civil War.
Today, the historic site protects 20 old buildings. It also has a large parade ground and five acres of restored tallgrass prairie. You can find it inside the city of Fort Scott. Visitors can explore the site most days of the year.
Contents
History of Fort Scott
In 1842, Fort Scott was built on the American frontier. It was on a military road in eastern Kansas. This road connected Fort Leavenworth and Fort Gibson.
The fort was created to protect new settlers moving from the eastern United States. It was part of a group of forts. These forts aimed to protect settlers from Plains Indians. They also aimed to protect the Indians from the settlers moving onto their lands.
The U.S. government first wanted to keep lands west of the Missouri River just for Native American tribes. But more and more settlers kept moving west. Fort Scott was busiest between 1842 and 1853. It was also used again during the Civil War.
The Army's Time at the Fort
The Cherokee tribe in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) were not happy. They had a fort called Fort Wayne too close to them. So, the U.S. Army decided to close Fort Wayne. They moved the soldiers to a new fort between Fort Leavenworth and the old site.
The Army wanted to make the Cherokee happy. They also wanted to protect white settlers and other tribes from the Osage. The Osage had been raiding the area often.
On April 1, 1842, some soldiers left Fort Wayne. They arrived at the new Fort Scott site on April 22. This area was in the Osage Cuestas of what is now Kansas. After getting the land from the Cherokees, the rest of the soldiers arrived on May 30.
Unlike most forts, Fort Scott did not have strong defensive walls at first. The open land and available cannons made walls seem unnecessary. Soldiers focused on building places for men, animals, and supplies. These buildings were around a large parade ground.
Captain Thomas Swords was in charge of building the fort. He faced challenges like few trees and skilled workers in Kansas. There were only a few bricklayers and carpenters. Most soldiers had other duties. Wood was hard to get, and the sawmill was far away.
Captain Swords struggled with a lack of wood, skilled workers, and proper tools. Accidents also destroyed some wood. By 1844, only one of the planned officers' homes was built. The soldiers' barracks were not finished. Still, an inspection in 1844 called Fort Scott "above average" compared to other frontier forts.
Due to growing tensions before the Mexican–American War, the Army moved soldiers to the Southwest. Fort Scott was still not finished. On April 25, 1850, the Army decided to stop building there. Three years later, the military left Fort Scott. They moved to Fort Riley, which was further west.
Life for soldiers at the fort was often "monotonous," meaning boring. Before permanent buildings were ready, soldiers lived in uncomfortable tents. Few civilians lived at the fort. Some officers brought their personal slaves with them.
A shop selling alcohol was nearby in Missouri. Many soldiers would go there without permission. This led to many courts-martial, which are military trials. About 12-16% of soldiers left without permission. This was due to boredom, not getting paid regularly, and disliking military life.
No battles happened near the fort. It felt more like a small frontier town than a military base. Hunting was a popular activity. One officer said "wolf chasing and duck hunting" was the only way he could stand the place.
Bleeding Kansas Conflict
Two years after the Army left, the fort's buildings were sold to civilians. Two buildings became hotels. In 1854, the Kansas–Nebraska Act changed things. It removed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which had kept slavery out of Kansas.
People from Missouri who supported slavery moved to Kansas. They wanted Kansas to become a slave state. At the same time, settlers from New England arrived. They were determined to keep slavery out.
The two groups in the "Bleeding Kansas" conflict each took over a hotel at Fort Scott. The Free-Soil group used the Fort Scott Hotel. The Pro-Slavery group used the Western Hotel. Most people living in Fort Scott town supported slavery. But those outside the town usually supported the free-soil side.
The Army Returns
During the American Civil War, Fort Scott became a military post again. In August 1861, the Union Army took control of the fort. They prepared it for wartime. The Army also rented several blocks in the town for supplies and other needs.
Soldiers from states like Indiana, Iowa, Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin came to the fort. Some stayed there, while others traveled to fight in Missouri, Arkansas, or the Indian Territory. Fort Scott was one of the few places that trained black soldiers for the United States Colored Troops of the Union Army.
The fort became a major supply center. Confederate General Sterling Price wanted to capture the town. But his forces only came within 10 miles of the fort during the Battle of Dry Wood Creek. The fort was important because it was in an area that supported the South. It was also close to Arkansas and the "unstable" Indian Territory. Many tribes there sided with the Confederates.
Fort Scott also served as a large military hospital and a prison until after the war. In October 1865, after the war ended, the U.S. Army left the fort. They sold off the buildings they controlled.
On January 14, 1870, the Army came back. They formed the "Post of Southeast Kansas" at Fort Scott. But the soldiers camped near the railroad tracks. They rarely used the original fort buildings. Their job was to protect the railroads and workers from settlers. Some settlers feared the railroad would take their homes. They saw the soldiers as helping the railroads, not them.
Settlers also had conflicts with Native Americans and outlaws. These outlaws sometimes used the recent Confederate cause as an excuse for robbery. By spring 1873, the U.S. Army left Fort Scott for good. From 1873 to 1965, the fort's buildings were not cared for. They slowly fell apart. Many military buildings were torn down and replaced with civilian structures.
Fort Scott Today
In 1965, a special law was passed. It gave the city of Fort Scott, Kansas, money and help to restore the fort.
On October 19, 1978, Fort Scott officially became a National Historic Site. It is now managed by the National Park Service. The site covers about 17 acres.
Today, the fort is open all year. It is closed only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
You can see many original buildings that still stand. These include:
- Four officers' barracks (places where officers lived)
- One dragoon's barracks (for cavalry soldiers)
- Two infantry barracks (for foot soldiers)
- A hospital
- A guardhouse
- Dragoon stables
- The ordnance and post headquarters
- Quartermaster stables (for supplies)
- A bake shop
- The flagpole
- A magazine (for storing gunpowder)
Another cool part of the park is five acres of restored tallgrass prairie. This is part of a project to bring back the original plant life of the area.
