Fort Ridgely

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View of Fort Ridgely during the Sioux Uprising
Remains of buildings from Fort Ridgely, Minnesota.

Fort Ridgely was a US Army fort built in 1853 for observation of the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation . It was the site of the Battle of Fort Ridgely during the Sioux Uprising of 1862. Today, Fort Ridgely is a State Park and Historical Site. It is located in Nicollet County , Minnesota , near Fairfax .

Fort Ridgely was named after three U.S. Army officers who were killed in the US-Mexican War . The fort was abandoned by the US Army in 1867. The stationed units moved further west. Local settlers tore down the buildings and used them as building material. Today the site is maintained by the Nicollet County Historical Society and is owned by the Minnesota Historical Society. It is on the territory of the Fort Ridgely State Park of the same name. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970 . The state park was established in 1899.

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