Fort McPherson Cabin

Fort McPherson Cabin. . This log cabin was constructed by the United States Army in the 1860's or 1870's at Fort McPherson. The logs were cut from the hills south of the Platte River near present-day Maxwell, Nebraska. , Fort McPherson was established in 1863 by a detachment of Company G of the Seventh Iowa Volunteer Cavalry as a base of operations for their patrols along the Oregon Trail. It was placed at the head of Cottonwood Canyon as it was a migratory route for bison and thus provided an advantageous point from which to keep an eye on the local Native American tribes. , The fort participated in operations during the Plains Indian Wars until hostilities were brought to an end in this area. Most famous among these was the Republican River Expedition of 1869. After organizing at Fort McPherson, Bvt. Major General Eugene Carr and the Fifth United States Cavalry set out for the Republican River to locate the Southern Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. They found them camped along the South Platte River in Colorado and attacked them. When the Battle of Summit Springs was over, the power of the Dog Soldiers was broken. , By 1880 this part of the Plains was no longer threatened by Indian raids and the army decommissioned the fort and the garrison was reassigned to fronts further west. , Most notable among those stationed at Fort McPherson was the scout William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. , Donor Number 1998-33