Leavenworth Kansas - First City in Kansas

Leavenworth, Kansas

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Buffalo Soldiers Monument, November, 2003,

Kathy Weiser

In western Kansas, the Kiowa encountered the soldiers of the 10^th, and finding them to be valiant opponents, termed them the "Buffalo Soldiers." In time, the term was used for the black soldiers in four regiments.

The Buffalo Solders left Fort Leavenworth to win repeated honors on the plains and in the west. In 1898 the Buffalo Soldiers fought in Cuba winning praise from Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders for their critical role in the battle for Santiago. The Buffalo Soldiers also served on the Mexican border before the American entry into the First World War. Today a monument stands at Fort Leavenworth in tribute to the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments.

The fort's first Catholic Church was built at Fort Leavenworth 1871 but burned down in 1875. The church was replaced by the St. Ignatius Chapel in 1889, which was destroyed by fire on December 16, 2000.

In 1875, the United States Disciplinary Barracks were established and continued operations through 2002, when a new barracks was built. The barracks are the only maximum-security prison in the Department of Defense, serving all branches of the military.

Old Army Barracks The old barracks at one time held more than 1,000 prisoners, though the new building houses just a little over 500. In later years, the barracks became the temporary home of many Nazi prisoners before they were executed at the Fort. “Rocky” Graziano got his start in boxing at the barracks.

The first Protestant Memorial Chapel was built by prison labor in 1878 of stone quarried on post.

With the end of the Indian Wars, the fort transformed itself into an integral part of the Army’s new officer education system as well as a worldwide model for military corrections. In 1881, General William T. Sherman established the School of Application for Cavalry and Infantry, which later evolved into the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

In 1878, James William Lansing was part owner of 90 acres of land, which was platted into town lots. He and co-owner, John C. Schmidt named the area “Lansing.” Eventually, both Lansing on the west side of the road, and the “Town of Progress" on the east side of the road all became known as Lansing. The city of Lansing was not incorporated until 1959. Since that time, the businesses, as well as the residential areas, have grown considerably.

In 1881, the school that was later to become the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College was founded on Fort Leavenworth by General William T. Sherman. Some of the many famous students and instructors at the college are George C. Marshall, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, Colin Powell and George Patton.

In 1885, the Wadsworth of Old Soldiers Home was built, and later became the Veterans Administration Center. In 1893, the Immanuel Chapel, made famous in Ripley's 'Believe It or Not,' was built on the VA grounds.

In 1906, the first cell house the United States Federal Penitentiary was opened. The penitentiary is the largest maximum-security prison in the United States, housing more than 2,200 inmates. Famous inmates over the years included Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and Robert Stroud – the famous “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Actually, Stroud’s bird work began at Leavenworth, where he served 28 years before being transferred to Alcatraz.

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Leavenworth Penitentiary, November, 2003,

Kathy Weiser

In the years between the World Wars, graduates of the Fort Leavenworth General Staff College included such officers as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar N. Bradley and George S. Patton. During World War II, some 19,000 officers completed various courses at Fort Leavenworth. By the end of 1943, commanders and staffs of 26 infantry, airborne and cavalry divisions had trained as teams at the school.

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