Fort Phil Kearny, Bozeman Trail Programs at Kearney Hall

On Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m., the Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association, (FPK/BTA) will present a dual program at the Kearney Community Hall, sponsored in part by the Johnson County Tourism Association.

Sharie Shada, FPK Superintendent, will present an update on the Shining Mountain Interpretive Center at the Fort Phil Kearny Historic site.

According to Dave McKee, President of the Association, “This is the current visitor center which will be remodeled, expanding the area for interpretive materials and expanding our bookstore. It will also include an outdoor amphitheater for programs.”

Fort Phil Kearny was the largest of the three stockaded forts along the Bozeman Trail. Col. Carrington felt the stockade was necessary due to the hostile nature of the Sioux surrounding the fort. The eight-foot-high log walls enclosed an area of 17 acres.

Today, the old fort is a Wyoming State Historic Site and a National Historic Landmark. There is an interpretive center to introduce visitors to the fort and its place in Western History. Visitors can see the reconstructed stockade walls, and the expansive grounds of the largest stockaded fort in the west. Signs have been set up to inform visitors where original buildings stood.

On the same night, McKee will present a program on “The Bozeman Trail: A Journey to National Historic Trail Designation”

The Bozeman Trail, named for John Bozeman, one of the surveyors, was a more direct route to the Montana goldfields from 1863–68. Jim Bridger recommended the western route, that by-passed the Sioux hunting grounds, but Bozeman promoted the more direct route, which ran right through Indian territory. The Trail ran from Fort Laramie to Fort Fetterman, and from there along the east slope of the Bighorn mountains near Sheridan, Wyoming.

Today, there are several stone monuments marking the old trail, and in some places the Bozeman Trail ruts can still be seen. There will be several advantages to designating the Bozeman Trail as a National Historic Trail.

On May 25th at 6 p.m., there will be a Wildflower and Native Plant Presentation at the Wagon Box Monument to be given by the Mae Smith of Sheridan College.

There is no charge for these programs and everyone is welcome.

The Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association is a non-profit organization. Their mission is to preserve, develop and promote the historical sites and battlefields near Fort Phil Kearny and along the Bozeman Trail. They work closely with the state agency that owns the FPK sites.

They also make an effort to accommodate Indian history, culture and interpretation. Educating the general public about the all historic sites along the Bozeman Trail, and the Bozeman Trail itself, is a priority for the Association.

For more information on the Fort and the Bozeman Trail, or any of the programs, please visit their website, www.fortphilkearny.com.