Busy day. After the Santa Fe Trail Museum, we drove the 5 miles west to Fort Larned Historical Site. Yep, another fort. This is the only prairie fort that is still intact in it's buildings, the artifacts, and the story it told. Impressive that the buildings look so good. Found out that the fort was in private ownership from 1887 to 1962. Was used as a farm. Once the fort was given as a gift to the Park Service, the fort was restored back to it's original buildings and purpose.
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| I love these iron statues |
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| Pawnee River is very dry!! |
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These are just markers, the solders remains have been reinterred in
Fort Leavenworth |
Custer was stationed here for a bit, learning how to 'deal' with the Indian problem (that's what they called it). When we talked with the ranger at checking it at the visitor's center, she said this Friday there was going to be a large nationalization program, over 300 people were taking the oath to become citizens. How cool.
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| The infirmary |
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| Huh! Indoor plumbing! |
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| Barracks - notice the bunks were doubled? Head to toe. |
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| It's a big fort |
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| Very first Fort Larned were made out of dugout structures |
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| Officers quarters |
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| Got to try this pattern! |
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| How the gentle folk traveled |
After looking around the fort and peeking into the buildings, we then drove to where the military and the freighters who used the Santa Fe Trail route crossed and hopefully we could see some ruts.
We found the place (in the middle of nowhere) and parked and started to walk towards the viewing area. We were serenaded by prairie dogs, guess there is quite a large colony there. Never saw them, definitely could hear them yelling at us!
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| As soon as we got out of car we could hear the prairie dogs |
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| Hard to see but the ruts were very prominent |
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| Huge indentations in the ground from the 2 to 3 ton freight wagon |
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