Featured Archeological Site

Fort Atkinson is a National Historic Landmark and one of Nebraska’s premier archeological treasures. The site retains national historical and archeological significance related to the expansion of the American West.

The Yellowstone Expedition, under the command of Colonel Henry Atkinson, traveled up the Missouri River in 1819 to establish several military posts along the river. In the fall of 1819, the troops built Cantonment Missouri on the floodplain near present-day Fort Calhoun. The location was flooded and the Army built the more permanent Fort Atkinson on higher ground in the summer of 1820. Over 1000 soldiers and civilians lived at the fort until its abandonment in 1827. The post was the first military installation west of the Missouri River. The site of Fort Atkinson is now a Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Historical Park.

The Nebraska State Historical Society has conducted archeological investigations at the site of Fort Atkinson intermittently since 1956. Excavation, surface survey, and geophysical techniques have identified over 200 archeological features such as foundations, cellars, trash dumps, trails, and graves. This research has allowed for accurate reconstruction of major portions of the fort. The archeological projects have also amassed one of the finest collections of early American material culture from the Great Plains region. Study of those remains has added significant detail to our understanding of life at Fort Atkinson. In particular, the investigations bring into much sharper focus topics such as diet, architecture, weaponry, and material culture. The park’s visitor center offers displays of many artifacts recovered during the archeological work.