“Thru These Portals Pass the Army’s Best Horsemen,” reads a sign above a barracks doorway at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. But one doesn’t train a horse without some, ah, awkward moments along the way. The best one can hope for is that a photographer isn’t standing nearby when the inevitable happens.
The fort began in 1874 as Camp Robinson and served as a cavalry outpost from the Indian Wars up until World War I, when the fort was virtually abandoned. After the war the fort took on a new role as the Army’s quartermaster remount depot, processing horses and mules for the cavalry and artillery. With opportunities for riding (even polo matches!), it was considered a plum assignment to be stationed at Fort Robinson during those years.
These days the fort is a state historical park. The adobe-brick officers’ quarters—visible here across the parade ground—are in high demand as guest houses for vacationers.
The Fort Robinson History Center has exhibits and online resources telling the fort’s story.
This story appears in Nebraska History Moments, a book published by History Nebraska.
(Photo: History Nebraska RG1517-44-16)
