Fort Mann

How Fort Mann did appear when it was standing.

Quick Facts

Location:

A few miles West of Dodge City

Significance:

Fort Mann was established in 1847 by master teamster Daniel P. Mann and 40 teamsters. Its construction was arranged by Capt. William M. D. McKissack, the assistant quartermaster for the Army in the west, as a wagon replacement and repair post halfway between Santa Fe and Fort Leavenworth.

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

Private; a marker can be viewed

Fort Mann was strategically located on the Santa Fe Trail halfway between Santa Fe and Fort Leavenworth. At this point in their journey, many of the passing wagons needed maintenance and repairs to continue, which they could find at Fort Mann. The Plains tribes opposed the construction of Fort Mann on their lands and its occupation by outsiders, and so conflict arose. As a result, in May of 1847 all but ten of the teamsters left the Fort. The rest followed in June after a particularly intense attack. Abandoned, the Fort fell into disrepair, passing travelers stripping it of wood for cooking. The Indian Battalion of Missouri Volunteers were formed in September in part to once again occupy Fort Mann. The battalion’s destructive interactions with the Pawnee and infighting amongst the men at the Fort created significant controversy that led to an investigation. The Fort was again abandoned by the summer of 1848. In 1850 Fort Atkinson was built a few miles east.

Site Information

Location (A few miles West of Dodge City)

Fort Mann no longer stands. If you visit the historic site, you will find yourself amidst residential properties. A plaque has been erected to commemorate the Fort's original location.

Safety Considerations

More Site Information

Santa Fe National Historic Trail