Editing Kanopolis, Kansas (section)

===Pre-Kanopolis===
Fort Ellsworth was the first frontier fort established in the Kanopolis area.<ref name="auto">Vaughn, Carlene. "Fort Ellsworth/Fort Harker Timeline." Kansas State Historical Society. June 27, 1997. Accessed April 28, 2015. https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/fort-ellsworth-fort-harker-timeline/11178.</ref> It was built by the United States Army in August 1864 at the junction of the Fort Riley-Fort Larned Road and the Smoky Hill Trail, near the [[Smoky Hill River]].<ref name = "natreg">National Register of Historic Places, Fort Harker Officers' Quarters, Kanopolis, Ellsworth County, Kansas</ref> Its purpose was to protect construction of the [[Kansas Pacific Railway|Union Pacific railroad]] from Native American raids.<ref name = "natreg"/> In November, 1866 Fort Ellsworth changed its name to [[Fort Harker (Kansas)|Fort Harker]] after the death of General G.H. Charles Harker, who was killed in battle in 1864.<ref name = "natreg"/>

By this time, the fort had grown in importance as a military staging post and supply depot for forts further west, and needed to expand to continue meeting its mission. As a result, on November 17, 1866, the Army ordered the construction of a new fort approximately three-quarters mile east of the current location.<ref name = "natreg"/> The original Fort Ellsworth was closed in early 1867, and the community of [[Ellsworth, Kansas|Ellsworth]] was founded in its place.<ref name = "natreg"/>

In January 1867, [[Fort Harker (Kansas)|Fort Harker]] was relocated approximately three-quarters mile east of the old location to an open prairie about one mile north of the [[Smoky Hill River]].<ref name = "natreg"/> This new location featured a "large, well-equipped" hospital," which housed those were ill.<ref name = "natreg"/> The hospital was surely busy, as about 200 people died in 1867 from cholera in and around the Fort Harker area.<ref name = "natreg"/> For the next five years, Fort Harker became one of the most important military stations west of the Missouri River.[cite the Guardhouse national register nomination] It used 700 soldiers and twice as many civilian employees, as well as 400 horses and mules. Additionally, the mail to all military posts down the Arkansas river, as well as many posts in Colorado and New Mexico, was supplied from Fort Harker.<ref name = "natreg"/>

Over the coming years, the threat of Native American raids in the region diminished as territory was secured and railroad construction moved west. No longer of geographic significance, Fort Harker was abandoned on April 2, 1872<ref name="auto"/> and the war department ordered it to be closed shortly thereafter.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/47739782/kansas-news-items/ |title=Kansas News Items |newspaper=Walnut Valley Times |page=2 |date=June 14, 1872 |access-date=April 28, 2015 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Its garrison was relocated west to [[Fort Hays]].<ref name="newspapers.com">{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2282256/the-salina-journal/ |last=Gaston |first=Pat |title=Kanopolis-Fort Harker Area Wanted to Be Capitol Site |newspaper=The Salina Journal |page=18 |date=September 14, 1975 |access-date=April 28, 2015 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In the winter of 1872-1873, Fort Harker briefly stationed troops once more<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1">National Register of Historic Places, Fort Harker Guardhouse, Kanopolis, Ellsworth County, Kansas.</ref> before being deserted one final time. In the following years, Fort Harker became the "Fort Harker Military Reservation".