Fort Scott.—In 1837, by order of Col. Zachary Taylor, Col. S. W. Kearney and Capt. Nathan Boone were appointed to lay out the military road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Coffey, in the Indian Territory, and to select a location for a fort about midway between those two points. After examining several places, Kearney and Boone finally recommended a site on the right bank of the Marmaton river, 4 miles west of the Missouri state line. On May 30, 1842, Capt. Benjamin D. Moore, with 120 men of Companies A and C, First dragoons, established his camp on the spot and named it "Camp Scott." The following year a sawmill and brick yard were opened there for the manufacture of materials for permanent quarters, and the name was changed to Fort Scott. A plaza or parade ground of about two acres was laid off in the center. On the northwest side of this plaza were the officers' quarters, consisting of four large double houses, each two stories high, with attic, while on the other sides were the quarters for the men, stables, hospital, guard-house, etc., and a well about 100 feet deep was sunk on the plaza. An octagonal brick building was also erected for a magazine. The garrison was withdrawn in April, 1853, the post being left in charge of a sergeant, who was instructed to permit any reputable people to occupy the buildings. Fort Scott never had any reservation allotted to it, and in May, 1855, the buildings were advertised for sale "without land" The result of the sale was that the buildings, which cost over $200,000, sold for less than $5,000. The city of Fort Scott (q. v.) occupies the site of the old military post, and the old guard-house was for several years the city "calahoose."

OLD GUARD HOUSE, FORT SCOTT.