Custer Lives!
Fort Robinson, Nebraska
In July 2009 I visited the site of Fort Robinson, Nebraska. This former frontier Army fort probably had the most diverse history of the several former forts I visited this summer. It had everything from an Indian Agency to Nazi POWs. Fort Robinson is pretty isolated and in the northwest corner of Nebraska which bills it as it's premier state park. I had a really long drive to it so I stayed the night in a nearby town so I'd be fresh the next morning.
Fort Robinson is very well marked by signs so locating it is a breeze. As you approach the Fort you'll get a great view of the Red Cloud Buttes. When you arrive, go to the visitor center just inside the entrance. You'll need to secure a parking pass to park inside the park. There is so much to see here, and some of it is quite spread out, so I suggest driving your vehicle around to the various locations then getting out to walk. Bicycle rentals are available and if you are in reasonably good health rent one. There is are very few places you would have to pedal hard, most of it is pretty flat. I ride a bike at work so tooling around on one while sightseeing was no problem at all for me. When you visit, plan on making a day of it. There's that much to see. You can also rent rooms at the Fort if you want to make a little longer stay. The rental options are diverse, so if you are planning a trip here take the time to visit their website for options. I had so much crammed into this trip I couldn't stay overnight. I plan on returning in the future and spending several days to get in some hiking and camping.
The first place I arrived at was the 1887 Enlisted Barracks Row. Originally adobe, these brick structures were built on the site in the early twentieth century. The US Cavalry occupied this row until 1916. I next went to the site of the former Buffalo Soldiers Barracks. The US 9th Cavalry was sent here in 1885. The 9th was the first Cavalry unit sent to the Pine Ridge Reservation to quell the Ghost Dance movement in 1890. Lt. John Alexander who served here was the second Black graduate of West Point. Henry Plummer, the first Black Chaplain in the Regular US Army, was also stationed here. The US 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers were stained here from 1902 to 1907. There is only a Nebraska Historical Marker to mark the site, no buildings remain.
I next went to the site where the great Lakota leader Crazy Horse was killed. There is a stone marker at the site where he was bayoneted in the back. Recreations of the guardhouse he died in is there also. Next to the guardhouse are a replica Adjutant's Office and Cavalry Barracks. Just north of the site is a row of Officer's Quarters that Crazy Horse walked between in his way to the guardhouse. Those Officer's Quarters are the oldest structures at the park. I have a separate Crazy Horse site here.
A short distance from the Crazy Horse Memorial is a marker telling about the January 9, 1879 "Flight Of The Cheyennes". About 130 Cheyennes broke out of a Cavalry Barracks building they were being held in and fled to the White River. The Cheyennes climbed the nearby Buttes and engaged the pursuing Soldiers. Twenty-seven Cheyennes killed in a the initial fighting were buried in a mass grave near the Fort sawmill. Five Soldiers were also killed in the initial battles.
The many other sites of former buildings are marked by blue information signs.
A short distance away was the Post Cemetery. You have to travel through the camper and tent campgrounds to get to it. Heavy rains had created a sizeable body of water and mud across the entire dirt road leading to it . Once I got to it, I had to walk across a board that served as a foot bridge....serious. Moses Milner, better know as California Joe, was buried here. California Joe was one of General George Armstrong Custer's favorite scouts. I have a separate page for the Cemetery here.
In addition to the Cavalry Officers Row that Crazy Horse walked through, there is another set of Adobe Officers Barracks on the north side of Fort Robinson that provide a breathtaking view of the Red Cloud Buttes when behind them. These structures were built in 1887 when Fort Robinson became a regimental Cavalry headquarters.
A little west of the Adobe Officers Barracks are some very impressive brick structures. These large Officer's Row building were built in 1909 and showcase some of the US Army's finest Victorian military architecture. On my next trip to Fort Robinson these are the buildings I want to stay in.
Fort Robinson's flagstaff is across the street from the former Post Headquarters. The 1905 building now serves as the Fort Robinson Museum. The museum has a large amount of displays and all are very well lit which is usually not the case anymore. The former ornate auditorium now houses the twentieth century portion of the museum. Both Indians and Whites are well represented in the frontier portions of the museum. Some of the Indian beadwork on clothing is nothing short of amazing. The museum requires a separate very reasonable fee. The giftshop was closed while I was there unfortunately. The museum has a separate page here.
Horseback riding is available and you can visit the stables. The Fort also has a restaurant that serves a variety of foods. There's also plenty of areas to picnic. If you have small children, there's playground equipment. A natural history museum requires a separate entry fee.
As I was heading out to the Red Cloud Agency I heard a noise approaching from behind a low rolling hill. I then saw a herd of cattle approaching being tended by cowboys. I stopped to watch the cowboys work the herd until they were out of sight. Boy did I hope I was in the Twilight Zone and stuck back in the mid 1860's. If you are reading this then you know I wasn't. I continued on and passed the site of the World War II Military K-9 Training site. At it's peak, the kennels housed 1800 dogs! No buildings remain.
I next arrived at the site of the former Nazi POW Camp. No buildings are left but there are some concrete bunker-like structures still standing that have doorways in them. I didn't go down to look at them or inside them. The Nazis were allowed to leave the POW Camp to be used as labor on Nebraska farms. Most of the Nazi POWs were members of the Afrika Korps. The POW camp closed in September 1945.
Directly across the gravel and dirt road was the site of the Red Cloud Agency. No buildings remain but there is a stone monument. The sites of the former buildings are marked by information signs. The Red Cloud Agency has it's own page here.
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One of the Brick Cavalry Barracks. |
The Buffalo Soldiers of the US 9th and 10th Cavalry had barracks here. |
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One of the Adobe Officer's Quarters. |
The Red Cloud Buttes as seen from Fort Robinson. |
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The site of Crazy Horse's death. |
A replica of the Cavalry Barracks. |
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The interior of the Cavalry Barracks. |
These Officer's Row buildings are the oldest structures remaining at the Fort. Crazy Horse walked through here on his way to his death. |
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One of the Adobe Officer's Quarters. |
The 1909 Officer's Row. |
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The 1890 flagstaff and the Nebraska Historical Society for Fort Robinson. |
The 1905 Post Headquarters and current Fort Robinson Museum. |
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One of the cowboys herding cattle I saw. |
Part of the World War II K-9 training area. |
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The site of the 1943 World War II Nazi POW camp. |
The site of the 1873 Red Cloud Agency. |
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