Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-08-08
FOUND ITS RISE AS A FORT.
Eitay Authorities Choose the Site of
Peaceful Fort Scott.

i.ta-y authorities Choose the Site of
| Peaceful Fort Scott.
Why Fort Scott?" asked a strahg-
er who was in the county seat of
Bourbon county, Kansas. the other
day. 4 don't see any fort"
Then you are tod that in 1887, by
an order of Colonel Zachary Taylor,
military board was appointea to lay
out military road from Fort Coffey,
IN the Cherokee nation at Fort
| Leavenworth, on the Missouri river.
says the Kansas City Star. The
/ board was also to select a site for a
fort nearly midway between these
two points. Finally, 1912, a site on
the Marmaton river was selected. II
was named Fort Scott in honor of
General Winfield Scott.
In 1913 and 1874 quarters for
officers and men were built. A saw
mill was erected about mile up Mill
s.eeR to be run Dy water power. The
MIDI gave the creek its name. A
brick yard was made near the mill.
Then detail of men from the infan.
| try command stationed at the fort
| made brick and sawed lumber. which
! went into the construction of the
buildings at the fort A square called
the parade ground, now called the
plaza, containing about two acres.
was laid out.
! Around the northeast side of the
plaza the buildings for officers quar-
tiers We're erected. These consisted of
four large double houses, two and a
half stories high, with frame timbers
j OF oak twelve inches square. walnut
siding and oak doors. The doors.
door frames, lintels, mantlepieces
| etc., were of two-inch walnut. T. is
hardly necessary to say that the build
lngs are still standing in good state
OF repair. They are occupied now as
| homes. They We're built in the uni
form style of architecture which pre-
vailed at all military posts at that
tlme. The most striking feature is
the broad porch extending along the
entire front and along the rear of
each house, reached by broad flights
OF stairs at either end. The roof is
supported by seven large doric col
umns fourteen feet in height, made
OF solid walnut logs On the other
sides of the plaza other buildings
| were erected.
Fort Scott was garrisoned until
April, 1858. when the post was prac-
tIcally abandoned. The fort was oc-
/ cupied again in 1862, and was the
center Of some exciting incidents
during the civil war.
When President Lincoln, in 1861.
issued his first proclamation for
troops for three months service, a
battslion was raised in Fort Scott and
ordered to report at Wyandotte, Kas..
| out before camp and garrison equip
! age could be furnished the time for
! their enlistments had expired, and
/ they We're mustered out of service
and returned home. The 9th cavalray
was recruited after the second call
for troops. This regiment remained
on duty at Fort Scott for the purpose
OF guarding the government supplies
, there.
Notifications were ordered to be
erected, consisting of breastworks.
stocades and three blockhouses They
We're built under government super
vision. One was named Fort Insley
and was located on the mound on the
plaza. This was the largest and was
the storehouse for ammunition Fort
Henning was built on the corner of
lst and Scott avenues. Fort Blair was
located on the corner of I'd street and
National avenue. Two large twenty
! four pound siege guns were planted
near Fort Blair. All of these block.
! houses have been destroyed or dis
aD9eared except hort Henning A few
years ago DR.. w. S. Mcdonald pur.
chased Fort Henning, moved it to
| his lawn and proposes to preserve it..
In recognition of this thoughtful SER
vice the people of Fort Scott pre-
santed Dr. Mcdonald with a flagstaff
and flag.
TIE blockhouse is still in a good
state of preservation. 1t was built of
saved slabs or thick boards. thorough
ly spiked, with rough boards sawed
from native lumber. The building has
openings for rifles and small cannon.
The people of Fort Scott will tell
you themselves if YOU ask them, that
the reason that the town was not
destroyed during the civil war was
/ because of the strong defenses main
tanned by the government and the