Fort Robinson Part 1 -- The changing role of Fort Robinson

(Note: One of the best kept secrets in the Nebraska State Parks System is the venerable old Army Remount Station, Fort Robinson, in Northwest Nebraska. This old Army Post, far removed from the population centers of Nebraska cannot be as popular with the vacationing public as the State Parks closer to Lincoln and Omaha, yet it offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the state, the chance to see wild life, and offers the peace and quiet that travelers profess to be looking for when they take a vacation. What's more, Ft. Rob has quietly become the outstanding place to see professionally staged Broadway musicals, in comfortable surroundings, at a fraction of the cost of seeing those same productions on the Broadway stage. The talented actors/ singers/dancers are recruited from all across the US. Many already have Broadway experience, all are gaining valuable experience while they bide their time until they get their turn to shine in the bright lights of Broadway. For the next few weeks we'll take a look at some of the things that make Ft. Rob unique.)

Fort Robinson, on the banks of the White River in northwest Nebraska, west of Chadron is currently the premier Nebraska State Park (and the largest) in the state.

Unlike most Army forts, which are dismantled once their original purpose is no longer valid, Fort Robinson has survived by repeatedly adapting to changing needs -- for some 142 years, since it was founded in 1874.

"Camp" Robinson was named for Lt. Levi Robinson, who was killed by hostile Indians earlier in 1874. Originally, the military post was established to provide protection to the Red Cloud Indian Agency, which lay just east of the fort's location, as well as a resupply station for troops passing through the area, who were engaged in protecting other military outposts and civilians passing through northern Nebraska on their way to gold fields in California and the Black Hills.

The early years of Camp Robinson (The change to Fort Robinson signifying permanent status, came in 1878) were not at all prideful for the Army. In 1878, through a series of blunders, caused by misunderstandings between the Indians and the soldiers, the Great Sioux Chief, Crazy Horse, was killed while in custody at Fort Robinson.

In October 1877, a band of some 350 Northern Cheyenne, escaping difficult conditions of poor food and disease, broke away from their reservation in Oklahoma, where they had been forced to settle a year earlier. Somewhere in Nebraska the band broke into two groups. 149 of the Cheyenne were captured and placed in confinement at Fort Robinson. For a time they were well fed and treated well. They were allowed to come and go as they pleased. Some of the women even worked for the Army.

But by January 1878, the Indians had become virtual prisoners of the Army and were being pressured to return to the Oklahoma reservation. Instead, all 149 made a wholesale escape to the bluffs in the west. The soldiers followed, and in the skirmish that followed some 64 Indians---warriors, women and children, as well as 11 soldiers were killed. The rest of the Indians escaped to join other Cheyenne tribesmen in Canada.

In the late 1880s the coming of the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad brought new strategic importance to Fort Robinson, enabling troops to be quickly dispersed to trouble spots along the frontier. The railroad caused the Army to expand Fort Robinson and at the same time to close down Fort Laramie in Wyoming.

In the 1890s, through the time of the Spanish American War, Fort Robinson was the Regimental Headquarters of the Buffalo (Negro) Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry, who were brought in to quell the Indian outbreaks brought on by the Ghost Dances of the Sioux. Many of these Buffalo soldiers were deployed to serve in Cuba (including 10 Medal of Honor recipients), leaving Fort Robinson almost devoid of troops.

In 1913, Buffalo Bill formed a movie company and chose to bring the great Indian battles of Summit Springs, War Bonnet Creek, and Wounded Knee to the silver screen. The films, of course, starred Buffalo Bill Cody himself, but Cavalry Troops and a medical detachment from Fort Robinson portrayed the U.S. forces in those films.

During World War I, a small contingent of regular Army men and a unit of the Nebraska National Guard held sway at Fort Robinson. Their mission was to guard the Railroad and to train mules (and their handlers) for the war in France. They also provided horses and men for Cavalry units throughout the Army. However, it was after World War I that Fort Robinson took on the role for which it is best known.

In 1919 Fort Robinson became a Remount station for the Army -- meaning that the Quartermaster Corps at Fort Robinson became responsible for providing animals for the Army. Between 1919 and the advent of World War II, in 1941, Fort Robinson trained thousands of mounts (and their riders) for the US Cavalry. At one time the Fort was home to some 12,000 horses (Riding horses and some draft animals) and 4,000 mules.

The era of the 1930s was perhaps the most interesting time at Fort Robinson. With the world at peace, and the country in depression, the Army, generally, was an enviable place to be, and Fort Robinson, in particular, was probably the most favored place to be -- to the extent that it earned the nickname of "The Army's Country Club."

The countryside in that little corner of Nebraska is arguably the most beautiful in the state, and Fort Robinson itself is an oasis surrounded by high bluffs -- the beginning of the Black Hills. The facilities at the Fort in the '30s were first- rate and military protocol was relaxed. The Post had a swimming pool, tennis courts, a golf course, and a skeet shooting range. An assignment there was considered choice duty.

Since the horses at the post were the finest the Army had to offer, it was no surprise that the post had its own polo team, good enough that polo teams from around the country came to challenge. Around the polo field, which was just east of the main buildings of the fort, a race track was constructed, and ranchmen as well as professional horse trainers made Fort Robinson a key stop on the Midwestern horse racing circuit.

Officers and enlisted men at the Fort had their own "Hunting Club." Wearing the traditional hunting garb, members and their ladies rode to the hounds, hunting coyotes (instead of foxes), not unlike their British counterparts -- ending the day with "High Tea."

During the '30s senior officers had cabins built in the wilderness area north of the fort. The hunting of wild game and fishing was said to be good, but additionally, these weekend retreats in the Wilderness were rumored to be the scene for lively parties.

In 1936 and again in 1940, the U.S. Equestrian team trained for the Olympics at Fort Robinson. Riders did well and captured a number of medals in 1936 in Berlin. The 1940 Games, scheduled for Japan, were canceled because of the war in Europe.

During World War II, the mission of Fort Rob changed again. As cavalry units became more and more mechanized many horses were sold off and the fort became the site of a major dog training center. Dogs were trained to be guard dogs, attack dogs, and mine sniffing dogs, for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. There were kennels at the fort for 14,000 dogs. At feeding time the din could be heard more than three miles away in Crawford.

Fort Robinson served as a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II, mainly for German soldiers captured during the North African and Italian Campaigns. The POWs liked the food and their treatment at Fort Rob, and many have returned to visit in the years since.

In 1948 Fort Robinson ceased to be a military installation and was scheduled to be dismantled. Again it adapted, and became a major Beef Research Station for the USDA.

Sadly, in the seven years of USDA ownership some 40 percent of the fort's buildings were destroyed.

In 1955, Fort Robinson was acquired by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and became Fort Robinson State Park. In the 50 plus years of Parks ownership facilities have been constantly improved.

Horses are still very important---for rodeos, trail rides, stagecoach journeys and pony rides. Interpretive museums tell the fort's story. Jeeps provide spectacular rides into the buttes.

Professional quality productions are staged nightly at the post playhouse. No wonder that Fort Robinson is visited by thousands of tourists, family reunions, and business retreats, seeking an interesting, scenic, and affordable site for fun and vacations.

Source: Fort Robinson and the American Century, by Thomas Buecker