The Heart of Fort Scott

Fort Scott's central square began as the fort's parade ground and became Carroll Plaza after the army sold Fort Scott in 1855. Praised in the Fort Scott Democrat on April 5, 1860, as the handsomest square in Kansas Territory, it stood at the heart of Fort Scott and witnessed events that reflected a growing nation. Over the years the ground hosted military ceremony, music, laughter, civic pride, political conflict, violence, and suffering. During the Civil War, military bands practiced there, and in 1862 the Fort Scott Bulletin praised the music of the 2nd Ohio Cavalry and 9th Wisconsin Infantry bands performing daily from Carroll Plaza. The plaza survived intact through the years even as the town grew to its edges.

Fort Scott, Kansas · United States