Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/393



upon surveying parties and pioneers and it was for the protection of settlers from the Sioux that the post was to be established. Colonel Mason selected a site on the high table land of the east side of the Des Moines River, a short distance below the mouth of Lizzard Creek. The place selected was on the extreme western border of the “Neutral Grounds,” between the Sioux, Sac and Fox Indian lands. Early in the spring of 1850 Major Samuel Woods, with a detachment of the Sixth United States Infantry, was sent to the new post, which had been named Fort Clark. Another fort on the frontier had been given the same name, by order of the Secretary of War, and the name of the Iowa post was changed to Fort Dodge, in honor of General Henry Dodge, the United States Senator from Wisconsin. The commissioned officers of Major Wood’s command when stationed at Fort Dodge were Captain L. A. Olmstead, Lieutenants L. S. Corey and Stubbs and Surgeon Charles A. Keeney.

The command marched from Fort Buckner on the Iowa River on the last day of July. Because of the heavily-loaded wagon train it was necessary to bridge many streams and sloughs. Beaching the Des Moines River about the middle of August camp was made on the table land, where the business portion of Fort Dodge has since been built. The command proceeded at once to erect twelve substantial log buildings, which were completed and occupied by the 20th of November. During the three years the troops occupied Fort Dodge, the Government expended $80,000 in buildings and other improvements. The post was abandoned on the 3d of October, 1853, when the troops were ordered one hundred and fifty miles north in Minnesota to build a new fort on the north line of the new purchase made from the Sioux Indians.