Fort Scott National Historic Site
From Fort Scott
Old Fort Blvd, Fort Scott, KS
(620) 223-0310
Hours - 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. April-October
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. from November-March.
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Fort Scott National Historic Site website
Near the downtown area of Fort Scott sits what many refer to as the "Old Fort," for which the town is named. The Fort has been in existence since 1842 and was built to serve as a buffer between frontier settlers and the Osage Indians in the area. When the Mexican-American War escalated, the Fort was abandoned and the soldiers stationed in Fort Scott were transferred west to Fort Riley.
Ironically enough, the Fort that was built for the purpose of unifying a nation became a "house divided against itself" in the mid 1850s. During the phenomenon now known as "Bleeding Kansas," a Pro-Slavery civilian opened up a hotel on one side of the parade grounds, while a Free-State civilian opened up another hotel on the opposite side of the square. This led to several skirmishes and much violence between the opposing factions.
When the Civil War broke out years later, Fort Scott was put back into service as a depot that was mainly concerned with converting infantry into cavalry, which was better suited to fight on the vast plains of the Mid-west.
After the end of the Civil War, Fort Scott was again abandoned and gradually descended into a dilapidated state. However, in the 1960s, the actions of Congressman Joe Skubitz and other politicians sparked a restoration of the Fort. The National Parks Service took over the care of the newly declared Fort Scott National Historic site in 1978.
Today, the Parks Service regularly works to bring the Fort alive for visitors through the efforts of volunteer reenactors. It is not unusual to stroll through the Fort and happen upon a soldier dressed in a Civil War era uniform or a lady dressed in the fashion of the day.
