Fort Larned's last major job was providing soldiers to guard construction crews for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad in 1872. Once the railroad reached Santa Fe, the days of the Santa Fe Trail were over. The mail was shipped by rail eliminating the need for Fort Larned soldiers to guard it. Also, by this time the Plains Indian tribes in the area had all been removed to reservations.
It would be another six years before the fort closed but on June 29, 1878, the fort's last commander received orders form the Department of the Missouri to send all public property to Fort Dodge and the remaining troops to Fort Hays. With that order, the military history of Fort Larned came to a close. |
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Last updated: March 3, 2023