History — Military & Frontier
From a lawless borderland to a staging ground for war — how a young Lieutenant Colonel named Zachary Taylor shaped western Louisiana.
1819 – 1822
Following the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, the United States needed a military presence to secure its newly defined western border at the Sabine River. In 1822, Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Taylor established Cantonment Jesup (later Fort Jesup). The garrison was tasked with bringing law and order to the former Neutral Strip, an area that had become a haven for outlaws and smugglers.
1840s – 1846
At its peak, the fort encompassed nearly 17,000 acres with over 100 buildings, uniquely constructed without defensive perimeter walls. In the 1840s, it served as the staging ground for Taylor's "Army of Observation" prior to the Mexican-American War. Abandoned in 1846 when the border moved westward, it is now a National Historic Landmark preserving an original 1822 military field kitchen.
Fort Jesup State Historic Site is a National Historic Landmark operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks. It preserves the only remaining original structure: an 1822 military field kitchen, open for public tours in Many, LA.