Ft. Robinson Stage Coach ride, 1979. Photo: Jack Curran, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Ft. Robinson 125th Anniversary
Located at the confluence of the White River and
Soldier Creek near Crawford, Nebraska, Fort Robinson has a rich and
varied history. Involved from its earliest beginnings in Indian
conflict, it was the site of the Cheyenne Outbreak, in which many
Cheyenne captives were killed while attempting to escape. The
celebrated Sioux warrior Crazy Horse also died here. The fort was
home to the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry in 1885. After
World War I it became the world's largest center for training and
breeding Army horses, and the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team trained
there from 1935 to 1939. In 1948 it ceased to be an active military
camp and was used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a beef
cattle research station until 1971.
Today Fort Robinson is a state park and museum
offering a number of educational and recreational experiences on
its 22,000 acres. For its 125th anniversary celebration held June
5, 1999, events included a 19th-century black powder camp
re-enactment, cavalry and infantry re-enactments, horseshoeing and
mule-packing demonstrations, a Mountain Man Run, and a concert by
the 4th Artillery Regimental Band. Fort Robinson's history and its
125 anniversary are documented in text, a videotape, slides,
promotional publications, and news articles.
Originally submitted by: J. Robert Kerrey, Senator.
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