Fort Harker.—The original site of this post was on the north bank of the Smoky Hill river, at the crossing of the old Santa Fe stage road, about 4 miles southeast of the present town of Ellsworth, where it was established in Aug., 1864, under the name of Fort Ellsworth. It is said to have been commenced by a detachment of Iowa volunteer troops, who erected the first buildings and garrisoned the place until the fall of 1865, when they were relieved by a portion of the Thirteenth United States infantry. On Nov. 11, 1866, the name was changed to Fort Harker, and in Jan., 1867, a new site was selected, about a mile northeast of the old fort. For a long time Fort Harker was the shipping point of freight bound for New Mexico. The report of Surgeon B. E. Fryer, of the United States army, in May, 1870, gives a good description of the construction and sanitary condition of the fort at that time, as well as a mention of the cholera visitation of 1867. (See Cholera.) The report says: "Fort Harker is used as a base by troops not belonging to it for operations in the field, and many sick from commands in the vicinity have been sent here at various times for treatment or discharge. The sick-list is often enlarged in this way. There are two out of five men in hospital at the present time who belong to commands which have never been at the post nor attached to it."

Fort Harker was abandoned as a military establishment in April, 1872. On Feb. 11, 1876, the Kansas house of representatives adopted a resolution asking Congress to donate the reservation of 10,240 acres (16 square miles) to the state, to be used for educational purposes. The request was not granted, and the reservation was finally opened to settlement by the act of June 15, 1880.