Rolla railhead depot

Then

Rolla was the end of the South West Branch of the Pacific Railroad, and from Lyon's campaign of 1861 into 1865 it was the primary forward supply point for Union armies in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Quartermasters, soldiers and civilians moved thousands of tons of war material, food and forage from railcars to warehouses and wagons, and long trains of army wagons, each carrying 4,500 pounds of freight, left almost daily for Springfield and points as far as Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove. The army built warehouses, loading docks, forage sheds, blacksmith shops and wagon repair facilities, guarded by Fort Wyman and, from 1863, Fort Dette.

Franz Sigel's troops seized Rolla without a fight in June 1861 and Federal troops stayed for the whole war. They dismantled the forts and shipped surplus to St. Louis in summer 1865, and the post was abolished in August 1865.

Now

Built over

Modern development has destroyed all visible traces of Fort Wyman. Fort Dette stood on what is now the Missouri S&T campus.

Lines owned by BNSF run through Rolla today.