It looks like the Medicine Lodge Peace Treaty-1867- was the reason to put a Ft there, as this is when a number of tribes
location's has decided on.The Osage being placed there.

For example Ft Sill was build for this same reason in abt the same time period. It stalled out,the Indian's were then-
still having more meeting ect- after the Civil War-into the mid 70's the Indian problems-were based on the most troublesome.Like {Chief Geronimo}Carson had alot of trouble with a number of them, so attention was special for the Apache. I'm not sure exactly of the location of Ft Nickol's but it was on the Santa Fe Trail somewhere from the route from Kansas in Ok, but it may of had nothing to do with the proposed Ft. Being of no real trouble-(Osage)-it may not have been build.