FORT RILEY

FREMONT'S EXPEDITION CAMPING HERE IN 1843 REPORTED GREAT NUMBERS OF ELK, ANTELOPE AND INDIANS WHERE THE REPUBLICAN AND SMOKY HILL RIVERS UNITE TO FORM THE KANSAS. IN 1853 FORT RILEY BECAME AN OUTPOST FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE SANTA FE AND OREGON TRAILS. FOR YEARS IT WAS AN ARMY HEADQUARTERS ON THE INDIAN FRONTIER. HERE IN 1866 THE FAMOUS 7TH CAVALRY WAS ORGANIZED WITH LT. COL. GEORGE A. CUSTER SECOND IN COMMAND. IN 1884 GEN. PHILIP SHERIDAN RECOMMENDED THE PRESENT TRAINING SCHOOL, THOUGH CLASSES WERE NOT HELD UNTIL 1893. THE CAVALRY SCHOOL IS BELIEVED TO BE THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD. THE ORIGINAL FORT WAS BUILT BY MAJ. E. A. OGDEN AND NAMED FOR GEN. BENNETT RILEY. CAMP FUNSTON, NAMED FOR GEN. FREDERICK FUNSTON, WAS ESTABLISHED EAST OF THE FORT IN 1917. HERE MORE THAN 140,000 MEN WERE INDUCTED INTO WORLD WAR SERVICE. CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND CAMP FUNSTON BEGAN IN 1940.