Fort Custer (1)

Fort Custer (1) (1877-1898) - Established 4 Jul 1877 by Ltc. Col. George P. Buell, 11th U.S. Infantry and named after Lt. Col. George A. Custer, 7th U.S. Cavalry, killed at the battle of Little Big Horn 25 Jun 1876. Abandoned 17 Apr 1898. Also known as Big Horn Post.

Fort Custer Marker	Big Horn River Below Fort Custer
Fort Custer Marker Location

Fort Custer (1) History

Established to control the Sioux and other local Indians after the Custer Massacre in June 1876.

Fort Custer had quarters for 10 companies including stables for 6 troops of cavalry. It was built with buildings surrounding a large parade ground but had no walls or other fortifications.

When the fort was closed the buildings were sold and some of the structures and materials were used in the nearby town of Hardin, Montana.

Current Status

A DAR marker is located at the edge of the old post but there are no visible remains where the post stood.

{"selectable":false,"width":"500"}

Location: U.S. Hwy 87 south of Hardin, Montana, where the Hwy crosses the Big Horn River. Off to the west at the top of a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Big Horn and Little Horn Rivers. Maps & Images Lat: 45.723439 Long: 107.573168 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 3034'

Sources:

• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 70
• Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 79-80
• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 470

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Custer

Visited: 26 May 2010

Fort Custer (1) Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!