Economic Engine

With hundreds of men and some 175 horses, the garrison at Fort Ridgely required great quantities of wood, hay, grain, corn, and beef. Because the post could not meet its needs through a direct federal supply system, the War Department contracted with civilian suppliers offering the lowest bids. For years, this made Fort Ridgely the best market in the Minnesota River valley for farmers and businessmen. The post also provided important services to the community: army surgeons treated area residents and sold them medicines, mail could be picked up or dropped off at the fort, groceries and other goods were available at the sutler's store, local farmers could use the post's slaughterhouse one mile from Ridgely, and lumber could be bought from the post's sawmill. From 1853 to 1856, steamboats were the principal means of transportation for military personnel and supplies going to and from Fort Ridgely. The presence of the post and increasing white settlement led Congress to improve and build new military roads in the territory, and by 1858 land routes had mostly replaced water routes to the fort.

Minnesota · United States