Grand Island in Hall County, Nebraska — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Fort O. K. Cannon
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., February 18, 2012
1. Fort O. K. Cannon Marker
left at Fort O. K.
August 22, 1865
by
Major J. R. Curtis
for protection of the
settlement against attack
by hostile Indians.
Presented to
Hall County,
March 1, 1897
under Act of Congress,
May 22, 1896.
Erected 1939 by Betsey Hager Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) series list. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1887.
Location. 40° 55.399′ N, 98° 20.375′ W. Marker is on Grand Island, Nebraska, in Hall County. Marker is on Locust Street near 1st Street (U.S. 30), on the left when traveling south. Marker is on the grounds of the county courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 West 1st Street, Grand Island NE 68801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Civil War and Spanish-American War Memorial (here, next to this marker);
this page online
Regarding Fort O. K. Cannon.
THE O.K. STORE
The first settlers of Hall County, Nebraska, nearly all of whom were German immigrants, arrived on July 5, 1857. They platted Grand Island City and established farms. The O.K. Store of Henry A. Koenig and Fred Wiebe, located near the Mormon Trail, was opened near this site in 1862. It was the first store in the settlement and it also served as the first telegraph station.
During the Indian uprising of 1864 and 1865 many Platte Valley settlers fled but the Grand Island settlers remained. They fortified the O.K. Store with a sod stockade which sheltered 68 men and 100 women. To give shelter to 35 more persons, William
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., February 18, 2012
2. Fort O. K. Cannon and Marker
On August 22, 1865, General S. R. Curtis and his troops visited "Fort O.K." Impressed by the settlers' preparations for defense Curtis left a six-pounder cannon, which is still preserved in Hall County. Because of the fortifications "Fort O.K." and Grand Island escaped Indian attacks.
- Nebraska State Historical Society
Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 5, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 749 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 5, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
