Fort Shaw

Fort Shaw (1867-1891) - Established in 1867 as Camp Reynolds by Major William Clinton and four companies of the 13th U.S. Infantry. Renamed Fort Shaw 1 Aug 1867 after Colonel Robert G. Shaw, 54th Massachusetts Infantry, who was killed before Fort Wagner (1) in 1863 during the U.S. Civil War. Abandoned in 1891.

Fort Shaw Officer's Duplex Quarters	Fort Shaw 1867 Commanding Officer's Quarters
Fort Shaw Roadside Marker Locale

Fort Shaw History

Fort Shaw Plan c1870

Established 30 Jun 1867 by Major William Clinton and four companies of the 13th U.S. Infantry to prevent the movement of hostile Indians into settled areas and to protect the Fort Benton-Helena stage route.

The post was built out as a four company open plan frontier fort with a square 400' parade surrounded by post buildings. The original post buildings surrounding the parade included four company barracks, six sets of duplex officer quarters, a commanding officer's quarters, a hospital, band quarters/guardhouse, quartermaster buildings and offices. The enlisted barracks occupied the north end of the post and the officer's quarters occupied the south end. The commanding officer's quarters and one duplex set of officer's quarters still exist

The post was abandoned on 21 Jul 1891 and was transferred to the Interior Department 30 Apr 1892. It served as an Indian school until 1910 and then was granted to School District No. 82 on 22 Sep 1926 by Act of Congress.

Current Status

The commanding officer's quarters and one duplex set of officer's quarters still exist. Other period buildings are on the property but could not be associated with the two available plans. The two officers's quarters appear to be on private property while the west and north side of the post was overbuilt with a school. The east side contains a monument associated with the Indian school.

• 
  Roadside Marker Text
• 
  On Site 1931 Marker
• 
  Commanding Officer's Quarters Plaque
• 
  Unidentified Period Building

---

USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 774927

---

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

Location: Just northwest of the town of Fort Shaw, Cascade County, Montana, on Old Fort Shaw Road. Maps & Images Lat: 47.50889 Long: -111.82 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 3502'

Sources:

• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 74
• Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 83-84
• 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 477
• Billings, John Shaw, Circular 4, Barracks and Hospitals with Descriptions of Military Posts 1870, War Department, Surgeon General's Office, 5 Dec 1870, Washington DC, Google Books, Pages 409-416

Links:

• History
• North American Forts - Fort Shaw

Visited: 26 Sep 2013

Fort Shaw Picture Gallery

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