FORT ZARAH
IN 1825 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SURVEYED THE SANTA FE TRAIL, GREAT TRADE ROUTE FROM WESTERN MISSOURI TO SANTA FE. TREATIES WITH THE KANSAS AND OSAGE INDIANS SAFEGUARDED THE EASTERN END OF THE ROAD BUT PLAINS TRIBES CONTINUED TO MAKE RAIDS. FORT ZARAH, AT THIS POINT, WAS ONE OF A CHAIN OF FORTS BUILT ON THE TRAIL TO PROTECT WAGON TRAINS AND GUARD SETTLERS. IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1864 BY GEN. SAMUEL R. CURTIS AND NAMED FOR HIS SON, MAJ. H. ZARAH CURTIS, WHO HAD BEEN KILLED IN THE BAXTER SPRINGS MASSACRE OCTOBER 6, 1863. THE FORT WAS BUILT OF SANDSTONE QUARRIED IN NEAR-BY BLUFFS. FORT ZARAH WAS SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED AGAINST AN ATTACK BY 100 KIOWAS ON OCTOBER 2, 1868. IT WAS ABANDONED IN 1869.
Verbatim 1941 text, presented as a historical record, not current interpretation. Kansas rewrote many of these signs in 2011-2012 and retired others, and the current texts use different language about Native people.
The Kansas Historical Society maintains the marker program and its current texts. Current marker program ↗
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesUSGS Historical Topographic Map CollectionBarry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesUSGS Historical Topographic Map CollectionUSGS Historical Topographic Map Collection
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