Fort Hartsuff and 150 Years on the Nebraska Sandhills

Fort Hartsuff was established in the North Loup Valley of the Nebraska Sandhills in 1874, and was active until 1881. The fort was named for Maj. Gen. George I. Hartsuff, who died in 1874 from wounds received in the Civil War. The town of Calamus was platted in September 1874, near the Fort, on the trail from Grand Island to Deadwood, in Dakota Territory. The Fort was intended to protect settlers and the Pawnee Tribe. In April 1876, soldiers from the fort engaged in the Battle of the Blowout against the Lakota tribe, with three Medals of Honor awarded.

Many of the buildings remain and since 1961 have been restored as a State Historical Park. Officers’ quarters line one side of the parade grounds, now shaded with large trees. An abundance of lime and gravel in the river valley gave the Army material to build many larger structures with a type of concrete they called grout. Today, visitors can stroll the gravel path around the parade ground, follow along the white picket fence that surrounds the fort, and explore buildings staged in the 1870s era. Nebraska celebrated Fort Hartsuff’s 150th anniversary on August 31 and September 1st, 2024, with re-enactors, food trucks, and very loud cannons.

The Fort is located north of Elyria, Nebraska, and east of Burwell. You can find out more about it at the (newly renamed) Nebraska State Historical Society: https://history.nebraska.gov/fort-hartsuff-state-historical-park/ .

Interested? Check out Forts of the Northern Plains: A Guide to Military and Civilian Posts of the Plains Indian Wars by Jeff Barnes, new edition in Paperback – July 1, 2024.

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