Fort Abercrombie (1)

Fort Abercrombie (1857-1877) - Established on 28 Aug 1858 by Lt. Colonel John J. Abercrombie of the 2nd U.S. Infantry who the fort is named after. Initially designed to protect settlers in the Red River Valley from Sioux Indians, Fort Abercrombie later served as a hub for several major transportation routes through the northern plains. Abandoned in 1877.

Fort Abercrombie Plan, 1871

Fort Abercrombie BlockHouse

Fort Abercrombie History

The original fort was built within a flood plane and was evacuated on 25 Jul 1859, reoccupied in Jul 1860 and rebuilt on a high west bank of the Red River. Fort Abercrombie was besieged for more than six weeks during the Dakota Sioux war of 1862 and it was after the siege that the blockhouses were built. The fort was abandoned in 1877 and fort buildings were sold and removed from the site. A Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1939-1940 reconstructed three blockhouses and the stockade and returned the original military guardhouse to the site. Beginning in the summer of 2001, a project to refurbish major portions of the WPA project and to reinterpret the site was initiated by the state historical society.

Current Status

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Location: 612 East Blvd Ave, Bismarck, Richland County, ND 58505-0830 Maps & Images Lat: 46.445132 Long: -96.718225 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 925'

Sources:

• Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 109
• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 112

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Abercrombie
• Fort Abercrombie
• Friends of Fort Abercrombie

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