Day 14: Rest Day, tour Fort Robinson

October 6, 2015

Today is a rest day in Crawford, Nebraska. I slept until 10, skipped breakfast, then had an early lunch at the Downtown Diner. Wandered around town to find an ATM. Usually they are easy to find.

At 2 PM I left the motel to go see Fort Robinson State Park which is 4 miles west of Crawford on US 20. The road passes impressive sandstone cliffs to the north.

Fort Robinson was an army cavalry base founded in 1873 to support the "Indian Wars" of the period. It remained a major cavalry base well into the 20th century. The fort housed German prisoners of war during World War 2, then closed permanently in 1947. The property was transferred to the state of Nebraska to become a historic park.

Fort Robinson is the best-preserved frontier cavalry fort in the U.S. The scale of the fort is surprising. I never thought about what kind of facilities are required to house thousands of soldiers and thousands of horses. Most of the surviving houses and barracks have been converted to vacation rentals.

From 1887 to 1898 Fort Robinson was the home of a regiment of black cavalry soldiers known as buffalo soldiers. The commanding officer was the 2nd black graduate of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point. That fact was interesting because on 2 previous bike tours I visited Fort Davis in Texas, whose buffalo soldiers were commanded by the first black graduate of West Point.

The oldest original buildings were built in the 1880's. Most were torn down but a few good examples were saved and restored.

1887 adobe officers quarters built by the *buffalo soldiers*.

Rooms for rent in this 1887 barracks building.

The fanciest buildings were built in 1905-1909 during a major modernization program. The fort got electricity, running water, and many brick buildings. At that time planners had no idea that machines would replace horses in the next few decades.

Imagine sharing this giant duplex with another officer's family and several servants.

This 1905 barracks building is now the main lodge building at the state park.

The park is obviously a major tourist attraction, but it was nearly deserted today. Both of the museums were closed. The main lodge was still open.

The 1905 post headquarters is now a museum. Closed when I was there.

I'm surprised a cavalry post was still being upgraded in the 1930's. Maybe a WPA make-work project.

The park has a campground that is walking distance to all the historic buildings. One loop was closed. Another loop was open but the only occupied site was the camp host.

This campground loop is closed for the season. In the distance is the old power plant building.

One area of the fort has replicas of the original 1870's log buildings. These buildings are furnished and operated as a museum. It was closed when I was there, but I was able to see in the windows.

Replicas of the original 1870's structures at Fort Robinson. The guardhouse replica in the foreground was built in 1969.

View through the window of the adjutant's private bunk room.

View through a window of the main bunk room in the 1870's barracks building (replica built in 2003).

The most famous incident at the fort was the killing of Ogallala Sioux chief Crazy Horse in 1877. He was being detained for questioning, but wasn't under arrest. The guard was under orders to not kill Crazy Horse if he tried to escape. Crazy Horse did try to escape and the guard gave him a fatal bayonet wound.

The most amazing thing about Fort Robinson is the size of the stables. I've seen other historic cavalry forts, but have never seen such huge stables. Keeping thousands of horses alive and healthy is a big job.

The stable buildings housed thousands of horses.

The fort had a big veterinary hospital to care for the horses.

The weather was overcast all day with a light shower in the afternoon.

Distant view of Pine Ridge. A little bit of fall color in the foreground along the White river.

Back in Crawford it was apparent how little the town benefits from nearby Fort Robinson. I guess all the visitors either stay at Fort Robinson or in the bigger town of Chadron 25 miles northeast. Crawford is a charming town in a beautiful location with an awesome tourist attraction 4 miles away. It's a shame the town can't attract more tourists.

Today would have been a decent day for cycling, overcast with temperature in the low 60's (10-12C) and the usual south wind. But after 6 consecutive travel days I was ready for a rest. This is a great place for a rest day. Too bad I can't schedule every rest day in such an interesting place.

Distance: 13.5 miles (21.6 km)

Today's ride: 14 miles (23 km)
Total: 766 miles (1,233 km)

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