At other times loud footsteps up and down the stairs, doors slamming shut, scratching noises, and loud crashes throughout the house are heard. Residents also report icy cold spots in various parts of the house. The Rookery , a duplex located at 12 and 14 Summer Place is the oldest house on the base and is said to be haunted by several ghosts. Built in , the residence has been occupied continuously since it was erected.
The number of ghosts who haunt this old residence has given it the reputation for being the most haunted house in the State of Kansas. The most prevalent ghost is that of a woman with long hair who rushes at people with her fingernails clawing in attack. Said to have been the victim of violence long ago, her ghostly presence lingers within the Rookery.
Another apparition is that of an elderly woman who is often been seen chattering in the corner. A third ghostly specter is that of a young girl who is often seen throwing a tantrum. And, as residents are trying to sleep, they often report being rousted by an old man in a nightshirt with bushy hair.
Sheridan, wife of General Philip H. In , General Philip H. Sheridan left his wife on her deathbed as he traveled to Chicago on business. Sumner Place — The houses in this area are haunted by a kind woman in a black woolen dress and shawl. The benevolent spirit is said to look after the families in the area by trying to help with domestic chores, such as doing the dishes and making beds.
Also drawn to children, she looks after them and tries to calm them when they are upset. However, the ghostly spirit evidently feels some animosity towards other babysitters or grandmothers that she considers competition. These people often report feeling a firm push out of the upstairs nursery by unseen hands. At one time the residents of 16 Sumner Place were so unnerved by her presence that an exorcism was conducted in the house. The lady in black left the residence, only to take up her duties again next door at 18 Sumner Place.
Witnesses have also reported seeing her ghostly figure looking out of the attic window. The National Cemetery — The ghost of a woman by the name of Catherine Sutter has often been reported walking among the tombstones of the cemetery. In the fall of , Catherine, with her husband and two children stopped at the fort on their way to Oregon territory. One day, her husband sent the children out to collect firewood, but they never returned.
It has long been thought that the two children — Ethan and Mary, may have wandered near the river where they were lost in the current.
Though a search party looked for the children for three days, they were finally given up for dead. The Sutters stayed on through the winter, hoping against hope that their children would be found.
Catherine became a familiar figure at the fort as she spent many hours walking through the snow calling out to her children. After all those endless hours in the cold, Catherine contracted pneumonia and died that winter.
She was buried in the cemetery at Fort Leavenworth. Desolate, Hiram Sutter returned to his home in Indiana in the spring. However, just a short time later, he received a message that his children were alive and well. Swept into the river, Ethan and Mary were rescued by a group of Fox Indians who took care of them until spring when they were returned to the fort.
Wearing an old calico dress and black shawl, she is often observed carrying a lantern and calling out in the darkness. However, her apparition, wearing an old calico dress and black shawl, is still seen desperately searching for her lost children. Sometimes she is observed carrying a lantern, while other times just her voice can be heard, calling out from the darkness.
Another ghost reported in the cemetery is that of Chief Joseph, a proud Nez Perce Indian leader, who was incarcerated here in Prior to Mexico had a closed economy and was prohibited from trading with its northern neighbor, the United States. For many years both countries knew the potential benefits that active trade offered. The economies of the two neighbors were complementary: Mexico had the raw material necessary for American expansion, and the United States produced manufactured goods in short supply south of the border.
The Mexican Revolution ended the trade restrictions. Almost immediately, small groups of traders began the long trek through Indian lands to Mexico. Each success nurtured the nascent industry, and by a number of prominent Missourians had become involved in the trade.
By early the increase in trade had led to a treaty between the U. Government and the Great Osage Indian Nation. Benton sought peaceful relations with the Indians to guard the interests of the traders and the welfare of his state. His efforts eventually led to the founding of Fort Leavenworth. Even though Senator Benton favored peaceful coexistence, the number of incidents involving the Indians and traders increased as more Americans ventured into Mexican territory.
The persistent attacks led Benton to demand that a fort be built on the Arkansas River, along the main trade route. As a result of the political pressure applied by Benton, Secretary of War James Barbour, in late , directed the Chief of the United States Army, Major General Jacob Brown, to consider establishing a fort to provide security for the traders. After due consideration, Army officials determined that a fort on the Arkansas River was impractical.
A site nearer the starting point of the Santa Fe Trail, however, was feasible. The spot being chosen, he will then construct with the troops of his command comfortable, though temporary quarters sufficient for the accommodation of four companies. This movement will be made as early as the convenience of the service will permit.
Located on the banks of the Missouri River, Fort Leavenworth was established in to provide protection to settlers and merchants venturing westward along the Santa Fe Trail. In the years following the Civil War, Fort Leavenworth served as an outfitting post for the US Army in the West and played an important role in what are collectively known as the American Indian Wars—armed conflicts fought by the United States and settlers against various American Indian tribes.
Photographed by Alexander Gardner. The legacy and history of the 10th Cavalry is distinctive in US military history. In August , Colonel Grierson sought and received orders to transfer his command from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley, Kansas, on account of challenges presented by post commander Major General William Hoffman who opposed African American troops in the regular Army.
This commenced more than two decades of continuous service across the often harsh and remote terrain of the Great Plains and the Southwest. The soldiers of the 10th Cavalry scouted thousands of miles of territory, built forts, opened more than miles of new roads, installed over miles of telegraph lines, located important water sources, protected stagecoach and mail routes, and escorted cattle drives and wagon trains.
Despite continued segregation and repressive discrimination, the 10 th Cavalry continued to serve bravely after the Indian Wars, participating in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the Mexican Expedition, and World War II, before being deactivated on March 20, President Harry S.
Not far away are two Syracuse Houses, constructed in as officers' quarters. Drive around the parade field to see many more beautiful homes of red brick featuring white pillars and white steps leading up to front door. Many homes have signs in front stating the year the house was built. Frontier Army Museum exhibit. This fine museum preserves and interprets the story of the frontier army from to and of Fort Leavenworth from to present.
You'll find a large selection of horse-drawn military vehicles, and a collection of photos presents the personal side of early military life. Open Monday-Friday 9 a.
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