The Military Road between Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley was the main thoroughfare connecting Northeast Kansas to the rapidly expanding West and facilitated transportation to the East for the movement of goods and people within the region. This vital route, extending 130 miles across, required an average convoy of 20 men and horses a week to traverse. Its operation played a pivotal role in the transformation of Kansas from a small community of struggling farmers to an essential conduit for settling the burgeoning West. Moreover, the establishment of towns at significant points along the Military Road, particularly at locations where travelers needed to cross bodies of water such as Perry Lake or the Vermillion River, presented local farmers with opportunities to vend crops and supply provisions for pioneers and soldiers.
Prior to the establishment of the United States, the region encompassing the Military Road served as the primary habitation area for the Kaw Nation and Osage and Potawatomi tribes. The westward expansion of European settlers and the displacement of buffalo herds, which constituted the tribes' primary food source, paved the way for treaties that displaced these nations. Notably, the Kanza people, today known as the federally recognized Kaw Nation, established one of their largest settlements at the confluence of the Kansas and Big Blue Rivers, in what is now known as Riley County, near present-day Manhattan, Kansas.
Conference of Kaw Indians Kansas with the United States Commission of Indian Affairs. 1857. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2007678837/.
The presence of the Kanza Tribe at that location resulted in interactions with the French, who had a large presence in the region until 1803. During the 19th century, this area was primarily frequented by fur traders. The French would establish a stockade to protect the trade conducted between them and local Native-American tribes along the Missouri River, known as Fort De Cavagnial, which operated from 1744 to 1764.
Following the acquisition of the province of Louisiana in 1804, the United States significantly expanded its territory west of the Mississippi River, effectively doubling the size of the nation. This marked the beginning of westward expansion, facilitated by various trails, including the Oregon-California and the Military Road. The Santa Fe Trail played a crucial role in Kansas's development, leading to the establishment of Fort Leavenworth in 1827, which stands as the second oldest active U.S. Army post in the country.
During westward expansion and prior to admission into the United States, the predominant mode of transporting goods and people involved the operation of extensive convoys across land. These convoys were organized to effectively navigate and safeguard against encounters with indigenous peoples, wildlife, and other perceived threats. Many individuals utilizing the Military Road were European immigrants with limited English language proficiency, seeking to establish new lives in California, or Mormons en route to Utah in pursuit of religious freedom.
Throughout the period between the 1840s and 1870s, there was a significant increase in activity prompted by the discovery of gold in California and the expansion of territory beyond the Mississippi River. The safety of emigrants traveling through the region became a pressing concern, particularly as there were only three forts present until 1850. These forts included Fort Leavenworth, situated on the banks of the Missouri River; Fort Scott, established in 1842 in the southeast corner of Kansas near the Missouri River; and finally, Fort Mann, constructed in 1847 near present-day Dodge City.
The forts constructed during this period had varying degrees of longevity. Fort Leavenworth remained operational beyond 1855, while the fort near Dodge City was abandoned in 1847. Despite an attempt to establish another fort in the area in 1850, it too was eventually abandoned. The need for closer military posts became evident to safeguard westward-bound emigrants and support settlers establishing farms in the fertile plains. In response, Fort Riley, initially known as Camp Center, was established in 1852 and underwent a name change the following year. This strategic location facilitated the efficient distribution of supplies throughout Northeast Kansas.
Mitchell, D. T, and Strobridge & Co Middleton. Mitchell's sectional map of Kansas. Lecompton, Kansas: David T. Mitchell, 1859. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2005625305/.
On March 3, 1853, Congress sanctioned an allocation of $11,725 for the initial evaluation of the proposed route of the road. An additional $50,000 was allocated for the construction of bridges over challenging streams and terrain. These expenditures were approved by then-Secretary of War Jefferson Davis and amounted to 2.5 million dollars in present-day U. S. currency. On May 30, 1854, the organization of the Kansas Territory occurred under the Kansas-Nebraska Act, resulting in the influx of both pro and anti-slavery individuals from across the nation into the state.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act introduced popular sovereignty which established that the inhabitants of the territory would have the authority to determine the legality of slavery upon its prospective incorporation into the United States. Subsequently, a significant influx of emigrants arrived in the territory, intending to sway the results of the elections in their favor. Notably, the military road served as a critical conduit for the transportation of men and supplies between the principal forts situated in northeast Kansas during the period widely known as "Bleeding Kansas." This was the period between when Kansas was to become a Territory and finally being inducted as the 34th state of the Union. The period was known for unsanctioned fighting between Abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates with many coming from other parts of the country.
Two of the earliest locations utilized as temporary capitals for the opposing factions were situated along the Military Road. One was near Fort Riley in the now-abandoned town of Pawnee, which the proslavery faction occupied for only five days. The anti-slavery faction supporters, also known as "Free-Staters," established a capital in the modern state's capital of Topeka. Federal troops from Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley intervened at this location to restore peace, albeit for a limited time.
During the prelude to the Civil War, proponents of the antislavery movement introduced "Beecher's Bibles" into the territory. These were weapons smuggled with shipments of bibles and were utilized to combat proponents of slavery. Most significant altercations occurred south of the Kansas River, culminating in 55 fatalities. Persistent internal strife prevailed until the ratification of the Wyandotte Constitution on October 4th, 1859. Subsequently, 14 months later, the territory achieved statehood as the 34th state in the Union.
Admission of Kansas as a "Free State" constituted a significant turning point, exacerbating existing tensions about slavery. The culmination of these tensions occurred on April 12, 1861, with the start of the American Civil War, a conflict that endured for four years and prompted numerous young men to enlist in the Union forces. Fort Leavenworth emerged as a primary center for receiving and training these new recruits before leveraging the latest technological advancement, the railroad, to transport them to the battleground.
Richards, F. De B, photographer. Abraham Lincoln raising a flag at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, in honor of the admission of Kansas to the Union on Washington's Birthday. 1911. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2006683455/.
Throughout the latter part of the 19th century, the state of Kansas witnessed the establishment of an extensive network of railroads, spanning various directions, including westward routes and a dedicated line connecting the forts. This development led to the diminished utilization of the military road, as the more secure and dependable steam engine gradually supplanted it. The steam engine effectively covered most of the same route, operating closer to the Kansas River.
The Kansas Pacific Railroad was just part of the larger Union Pacific Railway, which aimed to set up a transcontinental railroad linking the East and West Coast. Construction began in September of 1863 with the first station in Kansas City and soon expanded to all the counties that followed the Military Road until late October/November of 1866 when it reached Fort Riley. This expansion marked the conclusion of the Military Road's thirty-year service as a crucial route for Northeast Kansas. Without it, not just Kansas, but the entire country, might have had a different history.
If you are interested in reading more about the Treaties with Native Nations or the Linear Trail in Riley County below is link to previous pages made by the Chapman Center.
Below is a copy of the order from the Committe of Military Affairs and the War Department to make the Military Road from Ft. Leavenworth to Ft. Riley.
Also here is the brochure about all the locations of the markers.
https://www.rileycountyks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/17424/Military-trail
Leavenworth County Jefferson County Shawnee County Pottawatomie County Riley County Conservation of the Military Road
