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Fort Dodge in Ford County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

Fort Dodge

 
 
Fort Dodge Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 10, 2012
1. Fort Dodge Marker
Inscription.
Fort Dodge, named for Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge, was established here in 1865. It was a supply depot and base of operations against warring Plains Tribes. Custer, Sheridan, Miles, Hancock, "Wild Bill" Hickok and "Buffalo Bill" Cody are figures in its history. The site was an old camping ground for wagon trains near the western junction of the "Dry" and "Wet" routes of the Santa Fe trail. The first buildings were of sod and adobe although some of the troops lived in dugouts. Several of the stone buildings erected later are in use today. The fort was abandoned in 1882 and is now a state soldier's home.

The Spanish explorer, Coronado, is believed to have crossed the Arkansas river a few miles east of here in 1541.
 
Erected by Kansas Historical Society and State Highway Commission. (Marker Number 75.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraExplorationForts and CastlesWars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Kansas Historical Society, and the Santa Fe Trail series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.
 
Location. 37° 44.034′ N, 99° 56.377′ W. Marker is in Fort Dodge, Kansas, in Ford County. It is on U.S. 400 Ό mile
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west of Sheridan Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Dodge KS 67843, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, on the prairies, on the Great Plains, on the Southern Plains, on the High Plains, and on the Santa Fe Trail Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Comancherνa, the Dust Bowl, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Republic of Texas.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wagnor Memorial Fountain (within shouting distance of this marker); Hospital (approx. 0.2 miles away); Storehouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Fort Dodge (approx. Ό mile away); Commanding Officer's Quarters (approx. Ό mile away); Sutler Store (approx. Ό mile away); Enlisted Men's Barracks (approx. Ό mile away); Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Dodge.
 
Also see . . .
1. Fort Dodge. National Park Service website entry (Submitted on May 11, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 

2. Fort Dodge in Kansas Cyclopedia (1912). KSGenWeb entry (Submitted on May 18, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.) 

3. Kansas Soldiers' Home, Fort Dodge. Kansas Commission on Veterans' Affairs website entry (Submitted on May 18, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.) 
 
Fort Dodge Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 10, 2012
2. Fort Dodge Marker
looking west along US Hwy 400
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 18, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,044 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on May 18, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
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Jun. 12, 2026