Fort Larned

Today we went to see Fort Larned. We didn't know it at the time, but they were having all sorts of demonstrations this weekend. We arrived in time to see them demonstrate the cannon.



Ed is holding some of the ammunition they used. The ball is filled with projectiles, the bag is the gunpowder. On top of the ball is a timing mechanism that they would set depending on how far the enemy was. It could be set to explode in 3, 4 or 5 seconds after being fired from the cannon.

Fort Larned was known as the Guardian of the Santa Fe Trail. The trail went right behind the fort. In 1864, after the massacre at Sand Creek, travel west of Fort Larned was forbidden without an armed escort and the fort furnished guard detachments for mail stages and wagon trains. In 1868 the Indians started attacking wagon trains and raided settlers as far south as the Texas panhandle. Lt Col George A. Custer was sent south and attacked Black Kettle's Cheyenne. Black Kettle was killed and the camp destroyed. In the 1870's, when the railroad pushed past Topeka, the fort provided protection for the construction workers. The fort was closed in 1883 and was in private hands until 1964 when it became a national historic site.

Here are a few other pictures from the fort.








We left Fort Larned and then went to the Santa Fe Trail Center. They had some good information on the trail but mostly it was displays what life was like on the Kansas plains.

Here is what they called a dugout. Inside it's 2 rooms, the back room is a bedroom. The floor is dirt.

Can you imagine living is this?