Kansas Forts Books

This series of eight books was published by the Kansas Historical Society in cooperation with the Kansas Frontier Forts. Each of the books features colorful original cover art by Jerry Thomas of Manhattan.

Fort Dodge: Sentry of the Western Plains,

Oliva presents a fascinating story of a western military post on the Santa Fe Trail. The fort was established 1865 to control the "Indian problem" in southwestern Kansas. The challenge proved frustrating and at times fatal for both soldiers and Indians as they vied against one another in a world of cultural clash and radical change.

Fort Harker: Defending the Journey West

The book offers an historic account of the fort that was established in 1866 to safeguard passage across western Kansas. At the juncture of the Fort Riley-Fort Larned Road and the Smoky Hill Trail, the post was strategically located to provide a vital link in supplying military operations and counter Indian resistance to wagon trains, stagecoaches, and the railroad as they intruded into native lands and changed the West forever.

Fort Hays: Keeping Peace on the Plains

This work tells the story of the military post from 1865-1889. Writer Leo Oliva brings the past of Fort Hays to life in this stirring frontier fort book. James B. Hickok, William F. Cody, and George A. Custer were among the famous figures who added to the fort's colorful history.

Fort Hays was established to ease the westward expansion and protect the railroad's construction and operation. The post guarded people who were headed west toward the Gold Rush and for those who settled in western Kansas.

Fort Larned: Guardian of the Santa Fe Trail

The book relates the story of the military post, founded in 1860, that protected the travelers along the trail. Author Leo Oliva details the events of the fort's history and artist Jerry Thomas creates original cover art. A key military post for nineteen years, the fort is associated with a number of well-known military leaders including General George A. Custer and General Winfield Scott Hancock.

Fort Leavenworth: Gateway to the West,

The book tells the story of the oldest U.S. Army fort in continuous existence west of the Mississippi. Fort Leavenworth was built on the bluffs of the Missouri River in 1827 as a frontier post to protect trade on the Santa Fe Trail. It served critical roles during the Mexican War, Civil War, and early expansion of the West. Today this historic post is home to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Fort Riley: Citadel of the Frontier West,

McKale and Young cover the conflict that surrounded the post when it was established in1853. The story follows the fort through the Civil War and the hostilities between Indians and settlers in the West. Standing as a central military stronghold, it escaped the grudual demise of most western forts and evolved with a changing army into the twentieth century. Fort Riley exists today as one of two active posts in Kansas.

Fort Scott: Courage and Conflict on the Border

The book recreates the history of the military post from its beginnings in 1842 until it was abandoned in 1865. Writer Leo Oliva covers the fort's vivid past and artist Jerry Thomas provides original cover art. The fort served as an important Civil War base, as a collection point for prisoners, and a gathering place for refuges during the war.

Fort Scott was founded on May 30, 1842, four days after Captain Benjamin Moore and Companies A and C, First Dragoons, abandoned nearby Fort Wayne. The troops settled at a ridge overlooking the confluence of Mill Creek and the Marmaton River to build the new fort.

Fort Wallace: Sentinel on the Smoky Hill Trail

Oliva takes you to the High Plains where the fort guarded the Smoky Hill Trail. Established in 1865, Fort Wallace protected westward migrants from Indian attacks as white settlement encorached upon native hunting grounds. This military post stood at the center of conflict and progress, engaging in battle, securing the peace, and witnessing the coming of the railroad to the Plains and the West.

This series has been financed in part with federal funds from the National Parks Service, a division of the United States Department of the Interior, and administered by the Kansas Historical Society. The contents and opinions, however, do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Department of the Interior or the Kansas Historical Society.