Fort Fetterman

WYOPARKS.STATE.WY.US WYOPARKS.STATE.WY.US FORT FETTERMAN TODAY FEES & PERMITS Admission Fees $3.00 for Wyoming residents 18 and over $5.00 for individuals with bus tour groups $5.00 for non-residents 18 and over FREE for under 18 Fort Fetterman State Historic Site is preserved as a reminder of that colorful era known as the “winning of the west.” RULES • • • • • • • • • Camping available by calling 307-3589288. Do not remove artifacts or natural resources. Firearms and fireworks are prohibited. Pets are allowed on a leash. Digging is prohibited. Use of metal detectors is not allowed. Please don’t pick plants/flowers. Please use available trash receptacles. State parks regulations are available from site staff. HOURS & LOCATION Fort Fetterman is open to the public during the summer. A restored officers’ quarters and an ordnance warehouse have interpretive exhibits and artifacts of the fort’s history, Fetterman City and its Indian predecessors. Open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Visitor Center & Ordnance Bldg. open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grounds open from sunrise to sunset. CLOSED winter months - call (307) 358-9288 for information. You are encouraged to walk the grounds where interpretive signs describe the fort’s buildings and activities. Fort Fetterman, located approximately seven miles northwest of Douglas, is situated on a plateau above the valleys of LaPrele Creek and the North Platte River. From I-25, take exit 140 and travel 7 miles on Hwy. 93. SPECIAL EVENTS WANTED Those interested in preserving & enhancing Fort Fetterman State Historic Site. The Converse County Historical Society is a nonprofit group dedicated to the protection, preservation and interpretation of historic sites along the Bozeman and California-Oregon and Mormon Trails. Fort Fetterman State Historic Site is administered by the Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails; Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources. 3/16 On July 31, 1867, Fort Fetterman was named for Captain William J. Fetterman who was killed in a fight with Indians near Fort Phil Kearny on December 21, 1866. Courtesy Wyoming State Archives. Their projects include Fetterman Days and site interpretation. They welcome new members and donations. Get involved! Become a member! Write: Converse County Historical Society, 752 Highway 93, Douglas, WY 82633. few years. Jim Bridger, Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane and “Buffalo Bill” Cody were among the colorful personalities of the time whose activities and travels took them to Fort Fetterman. of General George Crook’s Powder River Expeditions and Colonel Ronald Mackenzie’s campaign against Dull Knife and the Cheyenne Indians. In accordance with the Treaty of 1868, Forts Reno, Phil Kearny and C. F. Smith, (along the Bozeman Trail) were abandoned. Fort Fetterman alone remained on the fringe of the disputed area. As an outpost of civilization on the Western frontier, the fort represented protection and was a haven to travelers. After the Fort When the military abandoned the fort in 1882, activity in the area did not immediately cease. The town of Fetterman took root, and it soon grew into a notoriously rowdy frontier town. The boom was short-lived, however, and in 1886, the town of Douglas was founded a short distance to the southeast with the coming of the railroad. The old fort, in a state of decay, lost out as a town and declined rapidly. Most of the buildings were sold, dismantled or moved to other locations. Desertions were common, and the post frequently lacked adequate supplies and equipment. During the mid-1870s, Fort Fetterman reached its pinnacle of importance. It was the base for three Fort Fetterman from the southwest, ca 1880. Courtesy Wyoming State Archives. 17 HISTORY an Platte 93 Drawing of a winter scene at Fort Fetterman from Harper’s Weekly. Courtesy Wyoming State Archives. 15 The garrison managed to get through the first winter, and the fort continued to grow and develop. By 1870, it was well established and destined to play a conspicuous part in the Indian wars for the next 8 16 7 6 9 ha To Orp Parade Grounds 10 Museum 4 5 1 All buildings and historic/interpretive trail are accessible Parking 3 Ordnance Warehouse 11 Former Buildings Existing Buildings Group Picnic Shelter Historic/Interpretive Trail Headquarters located at the Museum Restrooms Viewing Area Former Building Locations 2 13 In November of 1867, Brigadier General H.W. Wessells became commanding officer at the fort. According to his report to the Department of the Platte, “...officers and men were found under canvas exposed on a bleak plain to violent and almost constant gales and very uncomfortable...” River 14 il Tra Life at the Fort Unfortunately, Major Dye’s optimistic view of the site did not hold true for winter months. No r t h 800 feet Gazebo em Major William McEntire Dye was assigned to build the post. In a letter to the Adjutant General, Major Dye described the post and surrounding country as “... situated on a plateau ... above the valley of the Platte, being neither so low as to be seriously affected by the rains or snow; nor so high and unprotected as to suffer from the winter winds.” 400 N Boz In the Beginning The fort was established as a military post on July 19, 1867 because of conditions that existed on the Northern Plains at the close of the Civil War. On July 31, 1867, the post was named Fort Fetterman in honor of Captain William J. Fetterman, who was killed in a fight with Indians near Fort Phil Kearny, December 21, 1866. 0 12 Cemetery 1. Hospital 2. Stables 3. Guard House 4. Magazine 5. Post Headquarters 6. Commander’s Quarters 7. Single Officers’ Quarters 8. Married Officers’ Quarters 9. Infantry Barracks 10. Cavalry Barracks 11. Theater 12. Sutler Stores 13. Store Houses 14. Cistern 15. Bakery 16. Laundry 17. Pump House