Fort Omaha Guardhouse
Fort Omaha Walking Tour
To maintain discipline among a large garrison, Fort Omaha commanders strictly followed the military code of the frontier era. Facing occasional problems with drunkenness, insubordination, fighting and desertion, officers were quick to punish offenders before disorder spread.
Minor infractions of regulations usually were handled within the company by assigning extra work detail or restricting soldiers to their quarters. More serious offenders were subject to heavy fines, pay stoppages, long sentences in the guardhouse and court-martial.
When Fort Omaha was established in 1868, a wooden guardhouse was built and placed under the supervision of the Officer of the Guard. Like many of the original buildings constructed of wood, the guardhouse quickly deteriorated. In 1883 the post surgeon reported that the structure was too small, thoroughly rotten and infested with vermin. The Officer of the Guard and his assistant occupied a small outbuilding away from the foul odor. A year later, a large brick guardhouse replaced the earlier structure and it was used until the post closed.
This building is currently the Child Care Center at Metropolitan Community College.
Marker is on East Road, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
