NRHP: Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
Contents
Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
NRHP Reference #: 66000454
NRHP Listing Date: 19661015
Location
1 mi E of Fort Calhoun, Fort Calhoun vicinity, Washington County, Nebraska
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Summary
The Yellowstone Expedition, under the command of Colonel Henry Atkinson, traveled up the Missouri in 1819 with the intention of establishing military posts near Council Bluffs, the Mandan villages, and the Yellowstone River. Only the former was established and named Fort Atkinson. The post was constructed on a prominent Missouri River terrace near present Fort Calhoun in 1820 and occupied until 1827. Fort Atkinson was the only American military post west of the Missouri at that time. The fort was critical in forging political links between the U.S. government and local Indian tribes, as well as protecting American fur trade and frontier interests. The fort consisted of a 450-foot-square barracks quadrangle with two bastions enclosing the parade ground, magazine, and possibly other structures. A wide assortment of structures was built on the exterior including a council house, stables, carpentry and blacksmith shops, laundresses' quarters, and slaughterhouses. Based on over ten seasons of archeological fieldwork, most of the fort has been reconstructed and an interpretive center established. It is operated as a state historical park by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Further Information
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About the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the country’s official list of historically significant properties. To be eligible for the NRHP a property must generally retain their historic appearance, be at least 50 years old, and have the potential to be documented as historically or architecturally significant at either the local, state, or national level. The National Register of Historic Places is a National Park Service program administered by the Nebraska State Historical Society for the state of Nebraska. Visit the Nebraska State Historical Society's website to learn more about the program.
