Fort Larned National Historic Site preserves Fort Larned which
operated from 1859 to 1878. It is approximately 5.5 miles (8.9 km)
west of Larned, Kansas, United States.The Camp on Pawnee Fork was
established on October 22, 1859 to protect traffic along the Santa Fe
Trail from hostile American Indians. It was renamed Camp Alert in
1860, as the small garrison of about 50 men had to remain constantly
alert for Indians. In May 1860 it was moved upstream, 3 miles (4.8 km)
30 miles to the west up the Pawnee Fork, and by the end of the month
was renamed Fort Larned. It served the same purpose as Camp Alert and
as an agency for the administration of the Central Plains Indians by
the Bureau of Indian Affairs under the terms of the Fort Wise Treaty
of 1861. The fort's service ended as a combination of the tribes'
relocation to reservations and the completion of railroads across
Kansas that ended the need for the Santa Fe Trail.Larned, Kansas and
the fort that was constructed there are named in honor of Colonel
Benjamin F. Larned, the paymaster general of the United States Army at
the time the post was established. Larned experienced a lengthy
military career, first serving as an ensign in the 21st Infantry
during the War of 1812. He was promoted to captain after the defense
of Fort Erie, and by 1854 Larned was a colonel and had been appointed
paymaster general. Despite the town and fort bearing his name, Colonel
Larned never came to Kansas.As the American government claimed vast
amounts of land west of the Mississippi River, trade and commerce with
the territories grew exponentially. According to one source in 1859,
trade had risen $10,000,000 annually. In the Missouri Republican, it
was reported that 2,300 men, 1970 wagons, 840 horses, 4,000 mules,
15,000 oxen, 73 carriages, and over 1,900 tons of freight left
Missouri for New Mexico. It became apparent an additional
fortification was required to protect the trade routes. Fort Larned's
location was chosen by William Bent, an agent for the Upper Arkansas
Indians. Bent stated, "I consider it essential to have two permanent
stations for troops, one at the mouth of Pawnee Fork, and one at Big
Timbers, both upon the Arkansas River....To control them (the
Indians), it is essential to have among them the perpetual presence of
a controlling military force." Fort Larned National Historic Site Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter