Fort Dakota

Fort Dakota. . In late 1862, as the Civil War raged on in parts of the South, the Great Plains faced a war of their own: a battle between Native Americans and early settlers of the region. As violence escalated in Minnesota, news of the battles and ensuing violence spread rapidly, scaring settlers into retreat and leaving entire townships abandoned., Early Sioux Falls was one such abandoned town. Following the deaths of two residents under questionable circumstances, the remainder of settlers were escorted to a safer settlement near Yankton. The area around Sioux Falls remained abandoned for the next three years. Following this absence, settlers returned to find many of the buildings and forts had been burned to the ground., In 1865, the U.S. Government sent troops to establish military posts throughout the Dakota Territory as a symbol of safety. In Sioux Falls, Lt. Colonel John Pattee began construction on 'Fort Brookings' on the west side of the river near present day 8th Street. The 13th U.S. Infantry, Company D manned the fort for the next four years, enlarging the holdings from several buildings and a stable to over 18 separate buildings under the new name of 'Ftort Dakota'., When the post closed in 1869, the site had grown to house a military cemetery and a stable large enough to hold 50 horses. Once the sense of danger had passed, the fertile prairie river bank land holdings of the fort were highly sought out as valuable real estate., Although only open for a relatively short amount of time, the establishment of Fort Dakota provided prospective settlers with a sense of security and helped to re-establish the town of Sioux Falls. Many of the abandoned fort buildings were converted into use by the families that had settled in the area at the time, providing housing and storefronts for the newly expanding community.