Fort Aubrey
Encyclopedia
Fort Aubrey, in eastern Hamilton County, Kansas
, was established by the US Army in the 1850s. It originally had no name and was not made a truly permanent post until 1865. It was originally established to serve as a temporary resting place for traveling troops.
The intermittant camp was established at the site of a spring fifteen feet wide and three feet deep. The spring was on Spring Creek, near the Arkansas River
, and was on the Santa Fe Trail
. The spring was used by soldiers, civilian travelers and Indians as they passed through the area.
The camp had no name for most of its existence. Some structures were built there and these were at times left completely unused. Sometimes details of a few men stayed in the camp to keep it ready for use.
The camp was named Camp Wynkoop in May 1864, in honor of Fort Lyon
's commander, Maj. Edward W. Wynkoop
. Around that time a stage station was built at Camp Wynkoop. When the camp was again abandoned in August the stage station remained. The camp was in a dangerous area, as hostile Indians at least once killed four soldiers working near the camp.
Indian troubles in the area increased, so in August or September 1865 a permanent fort, named Fort Aubrey, was built by two companies of the 48th Wisconsin Infantry. The permanent fort was short lived, being closed April 15, 1866.
In 1978, the site of the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Hamilton County, Kansas
Hamilton County is a county located in Southwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,690...
, was established by the US Army in the 1850s. It originally had no name and was not made a truly permanent post until 1865. It was originally established to serve as a temporary resting place for traveling troops.
The intermittant camp was established at the site of a spring fifteen feet wide and three feet deep. The spring was on Spring Creek, near 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...
, and was on 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...
. The spring was used by soldiers, civilian travelers and Indians as they passed through the area.
The camp had no name for most of its existence. Some structures were built there and these were at times left completely unused. Sometimes details of a few men stayed in the camp to keep it ready for use.
The camp was named Camp Wynkoop in May 1864, in honor of Fort Lyon
Fort Lyon
Fort Lyon, first named Fort Wise, was operated on the Colorado eastern plains until 1867. That year a new fort called Fort Lyon, and later Las Animas, Colorado, U.S. Naval Hospital and 5BN117, was built near the present-day town of Las Animas, Colorado. First named after Virginia governor Henry...
's commander, Maj. Edward W. Wynkoop
Edward W. Wynkoop
Edward Wanshear Wynkoop was a founder of the city of Denver, Colorado. Wynkoop Street in Denver is named after him.Wynkoop served as an officer in the First Colorado Volunteer Cavalry during the American Civil War, attaining the rank of major of volunteers, and was brevetted a lieutenant colonel...
. Around that time a stage station was built at Camp Wynkoop. When the camp was again abandoned in August the stage station remained. The camp was in a dangerous area, as hostile Indians at least once killed four soldiers working near the camp.
Indian troubles in the area increased, so in August or September 1865 a permanent fort, named Fort Aubrey, was built by two companies of the 48th Wisconsin Infantry. The permanent fort was short lived, being closed April 15, 1866.
In 1978, the site of the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.