Fort Scott National Historic Site — Attraction in Fort Scott

In 1842, Fort Scott was named after Winfield Scott, was established on the American frontier on the military road in eastern Kansas between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Gibson. It was established to provide protection to the rapidly increasing number of settlers, who were migrating from the Eastern United States. Fort Scott became one of a chain of forts intended to protect the new settlers from the Plains Indians, as well as to protect the Indians from the settlers' encroachment.

The United States government intention to reserve permanent Indian lands west of the Missouri River gave way to the competition of settlers continuing to encroach on the Indian settlements. Fort Scott's most active days were between 1842 and 1853, although it was also used during the Civil War.

With the Act of August 31, 1965, the National Park Service gave the city government of Fort Scott, Kansas the necessary funds and technical knowledge to restore the fort.

On October 19, 1978, Fort Scott became a National Historic Site under the supervision of the National Park Service, encompassing 17 acres (69,000 m2). Today the fort is open throughout the year, save for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Visitation has declined in recent years. In 2005 visitation was 25,528; in 2007 it was 22,314.

Surviving structures include four officers' barracks, one dragoon's barracks, two infantry barracks, a hospital, guardhouse, dragoon stables, ordnance and post headquarters, quartermaster stables, bake shop, flagpole, and magazine. Another feature of the park is 5 acres (2.0 ha) of tallgrass prairie restored as part of an...

Fort Scott National Historic Site contains a mixture of surviving & reconstructed buildings from Fort Scott, an army post active from the 1840's-1850's, which experienced a revival in the 1860's during The War Between the States. The post hospital building is now used as the visitors center & bookstore. The infantry barracks building is used as a museum to the history of the fort's soldiers, as well as the area's history during "Bleeding Kansas" & The War Between the States. The stables for the dragoons horses have been reconstructed and contain exhibits showing how the horses were trained & cared for. One of the dragoon's barracks is a museum with exhibits on the dragoons themselves. The post headquarters building has been reconstructed & also contains the armory where cannons & long arms were stored & inventoried. There is a store house which contains an old ambulance wagon. The original bake house where bread for the soldier's rations was baked survives; as does the quartermaster's storehouse where supplies for the fort were kept. Several of the officer's quarters survive, restored to near original appearance, and contain furnishings from the era when Fort Scott was an active army post. The fort's powder magazine, where explosives were stored has been reconstructed, along with the guardhouse; both contain informative exhibits. I had scheduled two days to visit the fort, as I like to read everything on every sign whenever I go to any sort of museum; spent all of one day there & half...

Well...I Didn't Get the Chance to Take a Tour...But it Look'd Interesting...Kansas Has alot of Fort's and Battlefield's...and Being a Soldier...You Can't Help But Remember and Be in Awe...Of the Respect they Show to The Soldier's and The Struggle's of America too Protect and Bring Freedom to "The People"...!!! It's What Create'd the Freedom and Liberty's that We Enjoy Today...It Was a Long Bloody Road ...Were So Many Fought and Died...But...Today No Matter Your Color...Race...Religion or Choices...You are Free to Be You...I'm Going to Visit this and Many Other Historic Site's...Because it Doesn't Matter What Side You Fought On or Against...You Fought...And It Lead too a World that Just Keep's Getting Better....So Ohh Rahhh Fort Scott.!!!..and All the Soldier's Past and Future that...Made and Make Kansas and The United States of America...the Place Where Freedom Reign's...I'll Take Picture next Time...In Fact I'm Going Back Next Week...Standby... Lcpl Antonio J Davila USMC Desert Storm...