Fort Fetterman was a wooden fort constructed in 1867 by the United States Army on the Great Plains frontier in Dakota Territory, approximately 11 miles northwest of present-day Douglas, Wyoming. Located high on the bluffs south of the North Platte River, it served as a major base for the start of several United States military expeditions against warring Native American tribes. The main role of the soldiers was to protect European-American pioneers on the Bozeman Trail.
The old fort deteriorated from neglect. Visitors can walk an interpretive trail oh the partially restored site to view the ruins of the fort's buildings. An officers' quarters and an ordnance warehouse have been restored and contain exhibits, artifacts and dioramas about the fort's history, Fetterman City and area Native Americans.
Map of Seasonal and Year-Round BLM Public Land User Limitations in the BLM Casper Field Office area in Wyoming. Published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
Park brochure of Fort Fetterman State Historic Site (SHS) in Wyoming. Published by the Wyoming Department of State Parks and Cultural Resources.
Fort Fetterman SHS
https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/index.php/places-to-go/fort-fetterman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Fetterman
Fort Fetterman was a wooden fort constructed in 1867 by the United States Army on the Great Plains frontier in Dakota Territory, approximately 11 miles northwest of present-day Douglas, Wyoming. Located high on the bluffs south of the North Platte River, it served as a major base for the start of several United States military expeditions against warring Native American tribes. The main role of the soldiers was to protect European-American pioneers on the Bozeman Trail.
The old fort deteriorated from neglect. Visitors can walk an interpretive trail oh the partially restored site to view the ruins of the fort's buildings. An officers' quarters and an ordnance warehouse have been restored and contain exhibits, artifacts and dioramas about the fort's history, Fetterman City and area Native Americans.
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
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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.
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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.
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HISTORY
an
Platte
93
Drawing of a winter scene at Fort Fetterman from Harper’s
Weekly. Courtesy Wyoming State Archives.
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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
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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