Fort Clifton, Kansas

Indian Attack by Charles Marion Russell

Indian Attack by Charles Marion Russell.

The settlement of Clifton, Kansas, was laid out in 1859 and named for the surveyor. In 1862, the fledgling community was deluged with threats of Indian attacks, and in August 1862, Fort Clifton was built about three miles west of the original townsite. The fort was abandoned in the spring of 1863.

In 1870, the settlement of Clifton was moved to its present-day site in both Washington and Clay Counties. The exact location of Fort Clifton has since been lost, but it is thought to have been near Fort Brooks in Cloud County.

 

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated May 2025.

Also See:

Kansas Forts

Forts of the American West

Haunted Forts & Battle Grounds

List of Old West Forts

See Sources.