Fort Atkinson
A white obelisk and a plaque commemorate the site of Fort Atkinson, which originally stood south of this marker. Created to protect travelers on the Santa Fe Trail, the small post was built entirely of sod buildings. Field mice became such a problem that the commanding officer requisitioned cats from Fort Leavenworth! The fort only lasted four years, from 1850 to 1854. The plaque also notes that Caches, a famous campsite and a location of an early army headquarters, was just northwest of the marker. From Central, 4 miles west on U.S. 56, then just north on 107.