Fort Leavenworth was established in 1827, during the administration of John Quincy Adams, the 6th president of the United States. It is the oldest active military installation west of the Mississippi River. The fort is the third oldest continuously active Army post after the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York (1778), Fort McNair (formerly Washington Barracks), in Washington DC (1791). In terms of the number of historic buildings it is third after West Point and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The story of Fort Leavenworth begins in the spring of 1827.

Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited