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Fort Blair Site


category : Forts
Fort Blair Site Baxter Springs was a stopping place on the old Military Road serving Army forts which protected the preCivil War West from "hostile" Indians. It wasn't until 1862 the field camps were built in Baxter to supply troops to escort the wagon trains through the dangerous Indian Territory to Ft. Smith, Arkansas or Ft. Gibson, Cherokee Nation.

In the Spring a field camp, known as Camp Baxter Strings, was built here by Col. Charles Doubleday's 2nd Ohio Brigade and Col. William Weer's 2nd Kansas Brigade to garrison about 6,000 troops. Col. Weer's troops included two regiments of the Kansas Indian Home Guard. Camp Little Five Mile, built by Col. Richey's Kansas Indians in June 1862, was located to the southeast and across Spring River. Then in May and June of 1863 two more field camps were built here, Camp Joe Hooker, built by Col. James Williams' 1st Kansas Colored Troops, and Camp Ben Butler, built by the same group in June of 1863.

In July of 1863, a decision was made to establish a permanent garrison here, and in August, Lt. John Crites was sent with parts of companies C and D of the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry to build a fort at Baxter Springs. The fort, officially called Fr. Blair, but commonly referred to as Ft. Baxter consisted of a block house and some log cabins surrounded by breastworks of logs covered on the outside by rocks and earth. It was here that Confederate guerillas under the command of William Clark Quantrill, struck about noon on October 6, 1863, then moved to massacre a contingent of troops being led toward Fort Smith by General James G. Blunt. The dead, for the most part, are buried in Baxter Springs Cemetery, just west of the city.


Address: 7th and Military Avenue (Historic Route 66)

Come visit us in Baxter Springs, Kansas

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Tri-State Marker

See the Tri-State Marker and be in three states at once! The meeting point of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri is 6 miles east of Baxter Springs on Highway 166/400. Turn south on the small paved road just west of the state line, and continue to the dead end. Built in 1938

Baxter Springs, KS Geographical Markers

Log Cabin

The log cabin was built east of the Lowell Cemetery in the 1870s. R.A. Hibbard built it as a home for his brother-in-law's family. Kent Lynch purchased the property and donated the cabin to the Historical Society in memory of Marsah Moncrief Lynch. In 1987

Baxter Springs, KS Pioneer History

Johnston Public Library

The grand old building was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Built in 1872, it was intended to be the County Courthouse, but was never used for that purpose. Through the years the building has been a city hall, theater, and college. In 1905

Baxter Springs, KS Historic Buildings

Little League Baseball Museum

This museum displays many awards and memorabilia of local sports heroes such as Mickey Mantle and Hale Irwin and other stars a Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Bill Russell, and other.

Baxter Springs, KS Museums

Civil War Tour

Take the self-guided Civil War tour of Baxter Springs. Visit 12 points of interest relating to the attack on Ft. Blair and the subsequent Battle of Baxter Springs. For example, SITE #2

Baxter Springs, KS Tours

Things to do Forts near Baxter Springs, KS