I’m pretty sure the photo with the tire ran in The Missourian, but a quick Google Archives search for 1966 didn’t pop up the story.
The stories that DID show up that year included one where some out-of-town tourists wondered why Fort D didn’t have any historical markers telling its story.
How long has that thing been missing?
“Darn!” said the City Fathers. “There used to be one up there. Wonder how long it’s been gone?”
The city had a caretaker living in the Fort for awhile, but when he moved out, all of the windows were broken out. (In a story that may or may not have been related, a caretaker was arrested for drunken driving and may have had other housing assigned to him.)
Weeds and trash
Weeds and trash were allowed to grow up around the landmark.
Fort D tourist-worthy in 2008
When Brother Mark and I rode up to Fort D on our bikes in October 2008, the grounds were well-kept and there were plenty of interesting historical markers to make the trip worthwhile.
The building is missing its roof, unfortunately.
I wrote about the history of the Fort on my bike blog. in 2008. Follow the link to read more about the fort and to see more contemporary photos.
I was disappointed to find that this isn’t the original fort. The American Legion bought the site to save it from development in 1936, and the WPA built the building in 1937.
Fort D Photo Gallery
Here are more photos from 1966. Click on any image to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the photo to move through the gallery.
