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Fort Larned's sandstone buildings were the result of an Army building program on the frontier beginning in 1866. The building program itself was the result of the strategic and tactical vision of Lt. Gen. William T. Sherman, the U.S. Army Commander in the west. Sherman envisioned a string of infantry posts along the major routes in the west to help deal with the clashes between the Plains Indians and White settlers moving west after the Civil War. This strategic concept changed Fort Larned's status from a temporary post to a permanent army installation. In the spring of 1866, the existing structures at Fort Larned were not adequate to support a permanent infantry post. The buildings constructed at Camp on Pawnee Fort were adobe and sod, built to comply with Quartermaster policy to use local materials to reduce costs. Those structures were not crumbling and needed to be replaced. By the end of 1866, Gen. Sherman had secured funds to begin an extensive construction program throughout the Division of the Missouri. Plans and estimates for new buildings at Fort Larned had already been submitted to the fort's commander, Bvt. Col. Vuvier Grover. By late June of 1867 Assistant Quartermaster, Bvt. Lt. Col. Almon F. Rockwell arrived to supervise the construction. Reconstruction of Fort Larned's buildings took place over the next year and a half and was done mostly by civilian workers. |
Last updated: March 30, 2020