Fort Dodge (US Army Post)
Encyclopedia
The site of Fort Dodge in the US state of Kansas
was originally an old campground for wagons traveling along the Santa Fe Trail
. A military camp was established on the site in 1864, but was abandoned.
The post was again established in early April 1865, possibly in the same location. There is controversy as to the exact date of the founding of Fort Dodge, as several sources disagree. However, evidence shows the fort was established between April 6 and 10, 1865. Capt. Henry Pearce led a party of soldiers from the 11th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry in the effort to open the new fort.
Fort Dodge was probably named for Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge
, who commanded the troops in the region. It has, however, been claimed the post was named for Col. Henry Dodge
, of the 1st US Dragoons. It appears the post named for Henry Dodge had been established in the area many years before this and quickly disappeared.
Fort Dodge was used to maintain order along the Santa Fe Trail. The post was raided by Indians
several times, with many horses being stolen and a number of soldiers killed in the raids. In a June 1865 raid, the US Army Inspector-General, D. B. Sacket, reported the Indians took every horse at Fort Dodge. The first buildings were constructed after the Civil War. These generally are believed to have been sod houses for the officers and dugouts for the enlisted men cut into the bank along the Arkansas River
, along the south side of the post. However, Sean Creevey, a professor at Dodge City Community College
, claimed that all the first housing consisted of "dugouts with canvas roofs dug into the bank of the Arkansas River." He denied any were built of sod or adobe
.
Later, the dugouts were replaced with wooden and stone buildings. In its heyday, up to four companies of troops occupied the post. Apparently in its later years only about a dozen men occupied it and their main duty was to provide escorts to protect mail passing through the area. In 1882 the post was closed. A single custodian was assigned to keep watch over the property. A number of buildings were torn down or moved away, but many of the stone buildings remained.
Dodge City residents worked to have the old fort used for a retired soldiers' home
, since most of the buildings were still functional. After much work toward that goal, a federal law was enacted in 1889 authorizing the use of the post as a soldiers' home by the State of Kansas. In early 1890 the Kansas Soldiers' Home
was opened on the site. The Soldiers' Home has been maintained at Fort Dodge ever since. Numerous improvements have been made through the years and the public can tour part of the site.
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
was originally an old campground for wagons traveling along the Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a 19th-century transportation route through central North America that connected Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pioneered in 1822 by William Becknell, it served as a vital commercial and military highway until the introduction of the railroad to Santa Fe in 1880...
. A military camp was established on the site in 1864, but was abandoned.
The post was again established in early April 1865, possibly in the same location. There is controversy as to the exact date of the founding of Fort Dodge, as several sources disagree. However, evidence shows the fort was established between April 6 and 10, 1865. Capt. Henry Pearce led a party of soldiers from the 11th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry in the effort to open the new fort.
Fort Dodge was probably named for Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge
Grenville M. Dodge
Grenville Mellen Dodge was a Union army officer on the frontier and during the Civil War, a U.S. Congressman, businessman, and railroad executive who helped construct the Transcontinental Railroad....
, who commanded the troops in the region. It has, however, been claimed the post was named for Col. Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge
Henry Dodge was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, Territorial Governor of Wisconsin and a veteran of the Black Hawk War. His son was Augustus C. Dodge with whom he served in the U.S. Senate, the first, and so far only, father-son pair to serve concurrently....
, of the 1st US Dragoons. It appears the post named for Henry Dodge had been established in the area many years before this and quickly disappeared.
Fort Dodge was used to maintain order along the Santa Fe Trail. The post was raided by Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
several times, with many horses being stolen and a number of soldiers killed in the raids. In a June 1865 raid, the US Army Inspector-General, D. B. Sacket, reported the Indians took every horse at Fort Dodge. The first buildings were constructed after the Civil War. These generally are believed to have been sod houses for the officers and dugouts for the enlisted men cut into the bank along the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
, along the south side of the post. However, Sean Creevey, a professor at Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College
Dodge City Community College is located on the Central High Plains in Ford County, southwest Kansas.-Campus:For 22 years, the College was located on the third floor of the Senior High School Building at 1601 First Avenue. By 1957, it had grown large enough to require a move to a different...
, claimed that all the first housing consisted of "dugouts with canvas roofs dug into the bank of the Arkansas River." He denied any were built of sod or adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
.
Later, the dugouts were replaced with wooden and stone buildings. In its heyday, up to four companies of troops occupied the post. Apparently in its later years only about a dozen men occupied it and their main duty was to provide escorts to protect mail passing through the area. In 1882 the post was closed. A single custodian was assigned to keep watch over the property. A number of buildings were torn down or moved away, but many of the stone buildings remained.
Dodge City residents worked to have the old fort used for a retired soldiers' home
Old soldiers' home
An old soldiers' home is a military veteran's retirement home, nursing home, or hospital, or sometimes even an institution for the care of the widows and orphans of a nation's soldiers, sailors, and marines, etc.-United States:...
, since most of the buildings were still functional. After much work toward that goal, a federal law was enacted in 1889 authorizing the use of the post as a soldiers' home by the State of Kansas. In early 1890 the Kansas Soldiers' Home
Kansas Soldiers' Home
The Kansas Soldiers' Home , located at Fort Dodge, Kansas, was established February 7, 1890. It is under the authority of the Kansas Commission of Veterans' Affairs. It has grown since its inception to include a variety of services.-History:...
was opened on the site. The Soldiers' Home has been maintained at Fort Dodge ever since. Numerous improvements have been made through the years and the public can tour part of the site.