Fort Larned is one of the best-preserved frontier forts even though many buildings were lost from neglect after it was decommissioned in 1878. The National Park Service administers Fort Larned. They help preserve and interpret historic sites, as well as our precious National Parks. In one of the photos, you can see their restoration work in progress.
This fort was established along the Santa Fe Trail. Its purpose was to protect settlers heading west for economic reasons and the idea of Manifest Destiny. A notion that God favored the dominant white culture in its divine quest to settle the entire United States all the way to the Pacific Ocean. For a few years, Fort Larned was in the center of the conflict as Native Americans were being displaced from their homeland. Any time God is only on your side, cross-cultural communication is bound for abject failure. Would God approve of Custer's slaughter of Native American women and children at the Battle of Washita? Would God approve the near total destruction of the buffalo in order to starve Native Americans into submission?
Walking the grounds of the fort provides the perfect setting to ponder such questions. You get a glimpse of what life was like for soldiers on the prairie. If you love historic preservation and peering into historical methods of construction, the fort's buildings are fascinating. The National Park Service does a good job on a limited budget, telling the complicated story of our shared history. It is worth your time for a visit.
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
