Fort Larned - View this location on map From 1860 through the late 1870s, Fort Larned was the most important military post guarding the northern portion of the Santa Fe Trail. Abandoned in 1878, the fort became private property and the center of a large ranching operation. Now a National Historic Site in the National Park system, it was restored to the 1860s period to serve as one of the nation's best-preserved mid-19th century western military posts. The one story stone buildings are arranged around a quadrangle, and a barracks serves as the visitors center. Kansas Historical

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