Fort Drinkwater, in western
Chase County, Kansas, was built in 1857 by Orlo H. Drinkwater and W. L. Fowler on Drinkwater's farm. The fort served the area settlers as a refuge during Indian disturbances until 1868. It was built along what called
Cedar Creek,
[Lila T. Dwelle and Ruth D. Grimwood, "Cedar Point," ''Chase County Historical Sketches'' (N.p.: Chase County Historical Society, 1948), vol. II, p. 305.] or
Cottonwood River. In 1862, Drinkwater became the area's postmaster and his fort home served as the post office for several years, until the town of
Cedar Point, Kansas
Cedar Point is a city in Chase County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22. It is about 5 miles east of Florence and 0.5 miles south of U.S. Route 50 highway.
History
Early history
For many mille ...
, was established a mile to the west.
After Drinkwater built a stone house on a nearby hill, Fort Drinkwater was completely abandoned and collapsed after years of neglect.
[William C. Pollard, Jr., ''Forts and Posts in Kansas During the Civil War: 1861-1865'' (Charleston: CreateSpace, June 2015), p. 59.]
References
Drinkwater Drinkwater is a surname of English medieval origin. The German equivalent is Trinkwasser, in Italian Bevilacqua and in French Boileau.Joseph G. Fucilla, ''Our Italian Surnames'', Genealogical Publishing Com, 1949p. 237 Notable people with the surna ...
Buildings and structures in Chase County, Kansas
1857 establishments in Kansas Territory
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