Established in 1827, Fort Leavenworth is the oldest army post in
continuous operation west of the Missouri River. Serving as the army's
chief base of operations on the Central Plains, the fort furnished
troops and supplies for military operations as far away as the Pacific
Coast. Troops stationed at the fort were given the task of maintaining
peace on the frontier and protecting trade on the newly established
Santa Fe Trail. With the establishment of the Oregon-California Trail in
the 1840s, travelers on that trail also received protection.
In 1834 the fort became headquarters for the U. S. Dragoons, the army's
first permanent mounted regiment. With the onset of the war with Mexico
in 1846, the Army of the West organized at the fort for its epic journey
to California and northern Mexico. When Kansas achieved territorial
status in 1854, the first office of the territorial governor was at the
fort. In 1861 General William T. Sherman established a school that
evolved into the Command and General Staff College, the highest ranked
school in the army educational system. One notable student, Major Dwight
D. Eisenhower, graduated in 1926 with highest honors in his class.
Erected by Kansas State Historical Society & Kansas
Department of Transportation |
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