Fort Randall, South Dakota
Encyclopedia
The Fort Randall Military Post was established in 1856 to help keep peace on the frontier
. It was located on the south side of the Missouri River
in South Dakota
, just below the present site of the Fort Randall Dam
. The site for the fort was selected in 1856 by General
William S. Harney
. The fort served as a strategic site on the river to defend two lines of transportation; it operated for 36 years. It was named for Colonel
Daniel Randall, a career Army
officer who also served as Deputy Paymaster General of the Army
Its strategic location along the Missouri River made it a key fort in two lines of western frontier defense. It was the last link in a chain of forts protecting the overland route
along the Platte River
. It was also the first fort in a chain of forts on the upper Missouri River. The most important mission assigned to the soldiers of Fort Randall was to mount expeditions to try to control the many Indian tribes on the Great Plains
, primarily the Teton Sioux (Lakota people).
After serving as an important base in the Indian Wars
, Fort Randall closed in 1892.
at 43° 01' north latitude, 98° 37' west longitude (43.0244, -98.6242).
Frontier
A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. 'Frontier' was absorbed into English from French in the 15th century, with the meaning "borderland"--the region of a country that fronts on another country .The use of "frontier" to mean "a region at the...
. It was located on the south side of the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, just below the present site of the Fort Randall Dam
Fort Randall Dam
The Fort Randall Dam is an earth embankment dam impounding the Missouri River in South Dakota, United States and forming Lake Francis Case. It is one of six Missouri River dams, four being located in South Dakota....
. The site for the fort was selected in 1856 by General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
William S. Harney
William S. Harney
William Selby Harney was a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and the Indian Wars. He was born in what is today part of Nashville, Tennessee but at the time was known as Haysborough....
. The fort served as a strategic site on the river to defend two lines of transportation; it operated for 36 years. It was named for Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Daniel Randall, a career Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
officer who also served as Deputy Paymaster General of the Army
Its strategic location along the Missouri River made it a key fort in two lines of western frontier defense. It was the last link in a chain of forts protecting the overland route
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
along the Platte River
Platte River
The Platte River is a major river in the state of Nebraska and is about long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which in turn is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to...
. It was also the first fort in a chain of forts on the upper Missouri River. The most important mission assigned to the soldiers of Fort Randall was to mount expeditions to try to control the many Indian tribes on the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
, primarily the Teton Sioux (Lakota people).
After serving as an important base in the Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
, Fort Randall closed in 1892.
Location
Fort Randall is located in Gregory County, South DakotaGregory County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,792 people, 2,022 households, and 1,290 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile . There were 2,405 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
at 43° 01' north latitude, 98° 37' west longitude (43.0244, -98.6242).