The Fort Omaha Guardhouse was built in 1883 to handle

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, civilian and military prisoners of the

Department of the Platte The Department of the Platte was a military administrative district established by the U.S. Army on March 5, 1866, with boundaries encompassing Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota Territory, Utah Territory and a small portion of Idaho. With headquarters in Oma ...

housed at

Fort Omaha Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Oma ...

. Located at 5700 North 30th Street in

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, the Guardhouse was named an

Omaha Landmark This article covers Omaha landmarks designated by the City of Omaha Landmark Heritage Preservation Commission. In addition, it includes structures or buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and those few designated as Natio ...

by the

City of Omaha Omaha ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 41st-most-populous city, Omaha had a popul ...

Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission The City of Omaha Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission, established in 1977, is the Omaha city government's a nine-member board responsible for recommending official Omaha Landmarks to the Omaha City Council. The Landmarks Heritage Preservati ...

in 1982. It is also a contributing property to the Fort Omaha Historic District, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

About

Placed by the front gates, the Fort Omaha Guardhouse was built as part of a design typical of

western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

military forts in the 19th century. Originally constructed as a large L-shaped building, the rear or east wing of the building, closest to North 30th Street, was dissected from the building around 1914. It was used as a storage facility for many years, and the main section of the guardhouse was converted to offices.

Big Spotted Horse Big Spotted Horse was a Pawnee people, Pawnee warrior and raider who lived during the 19th century. He belonged to the Pitahawirata band or division of the Pawnee tribe.Blaine, Martha R. (1990): ''Pawnee Passage, 1870-1875''. Norman and London. T ...

was captive there in the 1880s. The most famous prisoner of the guardhouse was

Ponca The Ponca people are a nation primarily located in the Great Plains of North America that share a common Ponca culture, history, and language, identified with two Indigenous nations: the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma or the Ponca Tribe of ...

Chief Standing Bear during the trial of '' Standing Bear v. Crook''. When General Crook visited him at the Guardhouse he was appalled by the terrible conditions Standing Bear and his tribal members were staying in. Several other prisoners, including Army

deserter Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or Military base, post without permission (a Pass (military), pass, Shore leave, liberty or Leave (U.S. military), leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with u ...

s, were housed there over the next forty years. There were also several prisoners who were land jumpers that

claim Claim may refer to: * Claim (legal) * Claim of Right Act 1689 * Claims-based identity * Claim (philosophy) * Land claim * A ''main contention'', see conclusion of law * Patent claim * The assertion of a proposition; see Douglas N. Walton * A ri ...

ed stakes in the

Black Hills The Black Hills is an isolated mountain range rising from the Great Plains of North America in western South Dakota and extending into Wyoming, United States. Black Elk Peak, which rises to , is the range's highest summit. The name of the range ...

before 1875.Mills, A. and Claudy, C.H. (1918)
My Story
'. p. 157.

References

External links

Historic postcard
{{NRHP Omaha Guardhouses Landmarks in North Omaha, Nebraska National Register of Historic Places in Omaha, Nebraska Buildings and structures in Omaha, Nebraska Omaha Guardhouse Defunct prisons in Nebraska Military facilities on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska Jails on the National Register of Historic Places Jails on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska 1883 establishments in Nebraska

About

See also

References

External links