Fort Abercrombie

Fort Abercrombie
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Fort Abercrombie in 2007
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Location	Abercrombie, North Dakota
Coordinates	46°26′41″N 96°43′7″W / 46.44472°N 96.71861°W / 46.44472; -96.71861
Built	1860
Architect	WPA
Architectural style	Rustic/Log
NRHP reference No.	08001367[1]
Added to NRHP	January 22, 2009

Fort Abercrombie, in North Dakota, was a United States Army fort established by authority of an Act of Congress, March 3, 1857. The act allocated twenty-five square miles of land on the Red River of the North in Dakota Territory to be used for a military outpost, but the exact location was left to the discretion of Lieutenant Colonel John J. Abercrombie. The fort was constructed in the year 1858. It was the first permanent military installation in what became North Dakota, and is thus known as "The Gateway to the Dakotas". Abercrombie selected a site right on the river. Spring flooding was a problem and the fort was abandoned. However, in 1860 the Army returned, moving the fort to higher ground.