Fort Omaha

Fort Omaha in Nebraska is a historic military post that now serves mainly as a campus of Metropolitan Community College. The grounds, located in the North Omaha neighborhood, also house Navy and Marine Corps Reserve units. Originally founded in 1868 as Sherman Barracks, the post first served as a supply depot for forts along the Platte River. It later became the headquarters of the Department of the Platte and housed troops of the 2nd Infantry until 1896. The post has a eventful history that runs from its role in the Indian Wars to its use as a muster site during the Spanish-American War and, finally, its function as a prisoner-of-war camp for Italian soldiers in World War II.

The site is of special historical significance for the 1879 case Standing Bear v. Crook. Ponca chief Standing Bear was held here before he successfully argued, in a landmark court case, that Native Americans are persons under the law with civil rights. This event contributed significantly to the area's listing as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. Today you can tour several surviving 19th-century buildings, including the 1879 quartermaster's office, the 1878 commissary, the 1883 guardhouse, and the ammunition magazine and mule stables.

A highlight for visitors is the General Crook House, an Italianate-style building from 1879 that now serves as a museum of the Douglas County Historical Society. The rooms are furnished with Victorian furniture and military exhibits, while the surrounding gardens have been restored in Victorian style. The former 1879 headquarters building, which now serves as the college library, and the guardhouse built in 1883 at Bourke Gate are also part of this protected ensemble. In all, the historic district includes more than 25 buildings that document the military and civilian history of the site.