Fort Shaw facts for kids

Fort Shaw was a United States Army fort in Montana. It was first called Camp Reynolds. The fort was built on the Sun River, about 24 miles west of Great Falls, Montana. It was started on June 30, 1867. The Army stopped using it in July 1891.

After the Army left, Fort Shaw became a school for Native American children. This school operated from 1892 to 1910. Today, some parts of the fort still stand and are a small museum. The nearby town of Fort Shaw, Montana is named after the fort. Fort Shaw is also part of the Fort Shaw Historic District and Cemetery. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1985.

Building Fort Shaw

Most of what is now Montana became part of the United States in 1803. This happened with the Louisiana Purchase. By the 1850s, many farmers, miners, and fur trappers moved into the area. Because of this, the U.S. government started paying more attention to the region. The Montana Territory was created in 1864. This was partly because many miners arrived after gold was found between 1862 and 1864.

Why the Fort Was Needed

Camp Reynolds was set up on June 30, 1867. Major William Clinton and four companies of the 13th Infantry Regiment established it. The site was about 20 miles upstream from where the Sun and Missouri rivers meet. It was also near the Mullan Road, an important route.

The fort was built to keep the Mullan Road safe. It also aimed to stop Native American attacks on settlements to the south. The area had seen conflicts, like when the Piegan Blackfeet killed settlers near St. Peter's Mission.

Naming the Fort

On July 4, 1867, the United States Department of the Army ordered the camp's name changed. It became Fort Shaw to honor Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. He was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. Colonel Shaw led the all-black 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The name officially changed on August 1, 1867.

Fort Shaw was meant to house soldiers. It was one of two main U.S. Army forts. These forts protected mining settlements in south-central and southwest Montana. The other fort was Fort Ellis near Bozeman, Montana.

How the Fort Was Built

When Fort Shaw first started, soldiers lived in tents. Building log cabins began in August 1867. By late fall, they had built barracks for half the soldiers. They also made a temporary storehouse and officers' huts. Cold weather stopped construction, and the buildings were very cramped.

The rest of the buildings were finished in the spring and summer of 1868. By 1869, the buildings were more comfortable. The floors were made of hard-packed dirt.

Fort Shaw was built around a square parade ground, 400 feet on each side. The walls were made of adobe bricks. These bricks were 6 by 4 by 12 inches in size. Outer walls were 18 inches thick, and inner walls were 12 inches thick.

The officers' quarters had white plaster walls and glass windows. There were four U-shaped barracks for soldiers. Each barracks had rooms for sergeants, storage, eating, cooking, laundry, and sleeping. Roofs were first made of boards, then shingles.

Many other buildings were also constructed. These included a storehouse for supplies and a guardhouse with stone prison cells. There was also a hospital, a commanding officer's house, and duplex officers' quarters. Other buildings included a chapel, school, library, bakery, and a place for weapons.

Fort Shaw was known for being well-designed and beautiful. People called it the "queen of Montana's military posts." A cemetery was located half a mile west of the fort. A vegetable garden was about one mile east.

Daily Life at Fort Shaw

The fort was located in the Sun River Valley. The river was shallow and easy to cross.

Food and Supplies

Most food was brought in from other places. Soldiers could catch some fish from the Sun River. They also hunted wild game like bighorn sheep, deer, and elk. However, wild game was not plentiful enough to be a main food source. Nearby ranches sold vegetables to the fort, but they were very expensive. Flour usually came from the east.

Fuel was hard to find. Wood was scarce in the valley. Logs for fuel and building were brought from the Rocky Mountains, about 20 miles away. Lignite coal was also brought from mines about 30 miles away. It was used for heating and cooking.

Water was also a challenge. A long trench was dug from the river to the fort. Later, a steam engine pumped water through wooden pipes. But these pipes often got clogged or froze in winter. New underground pipes were laid in 1885 to fix this.

Grass for animals was also an issue. Hay had to be brought from other parts of Montana.

Health and Communication

Diseases like influenza, fever, and diarrhea were common. However, few soldiers got smallpox, even though it affected many Native Americans nearby.

Fort Shaw was not completely isolated. Mail was delivered three times a week. The fort also served as a post office for local people. There was a telegraph office for both military and civilian use.

History of the Fort

The commanding officers at Fort Shaw changed over time.

Early Leaders and Changes

Colonel Phillipe Régis de Trobriand, who commanded Fort Shaw in 1869.

Major William Clinton's command was temporary. On August 11, 1867, Colonel I. V. D. Reeves moved the 13th Infantry Regiment's headquarters to Fort Shaw. Lieutenant Colonel G. L. Andrews oversaw the fort's daily operations. During their time, a steam engine was brought in to pump water. The unit also received new breech-loading rifles, which made them more effective. About 33 civilians worked at the fort as blacksmiths, carpenters, and clerks.

General Phillipe Régis de Trobriand took command on June 4, 1869. He and the 13th Infantry Regiment left Fort Shaw on June 11, 1870. The 7th Infantry Regiment, led by Colonel John Gibbon, replaced them.

Colonel Gibbon's Command and Conflicts

Colonel Gibbon worked to make living conditions better at Fort Shaw. He improved roofs, plastered walls, and expanded storage. He also completed irrigation for the fort's vegetable garden. Gibbon also worked to improve safety in the area. He started building a road between Fort Shaw and Camp Baker. This helped with communication and tracking Native American groups.

The area around Fort Shaw had many conflicts between Native Americans and white settlers. In 1869, two Piegan Blackfeet were killed in Fort Benton, Montana. This led to attacks by the Piegan leader Mountain Chief, who killed about 25 white settlers. General Philip Sheridan ordered Major Eugene Baker to attack Mountain Chief's group.

On January 23, 1870, Baker attacked the wrong group. He attacked the Piegans led by Heavy Runner, who had signed a peace treaty. Heavy Runner was killed. This event became known as the Marias Massacre. More than 173 Piegan Blackfeet, including women and children, were killed.

Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce and Colonel John Gibbon meet in 1889.

In 1874, gold was found in the Black Hills of the Dakotas. This led to a gold rush in 1875 and 1876. Thousands of white miners and settlers moved into the area. This broke treaties that said the Black Hills belonged to the Lakota people. Conflicts started between Native Americans and settlers.

President Ulysses S. Grant decided to remove all Native people from the Black Hills. In the summer of 1876, General Sheridan planned a three-part attack. Colonel Gibbon was ordered to lead a "Montana Column" from Fort Shaw and Fort Ellis. They were to march south to prevent Native American tribes from moving north or west of the Yellowstone River.

Gibbon's soldiers from Fort Shaw did not fight in the famous Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25–26, 1876. Most of General George Armstrong Custer's command was defeated there. Gibbon's troops arrived on June 27 and helped bury the dead.

Soldiers from Fort Shaw also fought in another important battle in 1877. Several groups of the Nez Perce people lived in Oregon. In May 1877, General Oliver O. Howard ordered them onto a reservation. Some young Native Americans killed white settlers, leading to more conflict.

The Nez Perce tried to escape into Montana. Colonel Gibbon quickly gathered about 200 soldiers. On August 9, Gibbon attacked the Nez Perce at dawn. This was the Battle of the Big Hole. The Nez Perce fought back strongly. The battle continued until August 10. The Nez Perce eventually fled, but 89 of their people, mostly women and children, died. After a long journey through Montana, the Nez Perce surrendered on October 5, 1877, at the Battle of Bear Paw. Montana saw its last conflicts with Native Americans in 1878.

Later Years and Closure

In 1878, the 7th Infantry moved away. Fort Shaw became the headquarters for the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment. Life at Fort Shaw became more peaceful. Soldiers from Fort Shaw observed Native American movements. They also discouraged raids on white settlements.

By April 1888, the 3rd Infantry moved to other forts. The 25th Infantry Regiment took their place. However, by this time, Fort Shaw was no longer a key military post. Only two companies of the 25th Infantry remained at Fort Shaw. By September 1890, the military presence was very small.

A new, larger fort called Fort Assinniboine was built in 1879. This led to the closing of Fort Shaw and Fort Ellis. The U.S. Army abandoned Fort Shaw on July 1, 1891.

Civilian Use of Fort Shaw

After the Army left, Fort Shaw was used for other purposes.

Fort Shaw Indian School

By 1892, the Fort Shaw military area was very large. Ownership of Fort Shaw was moved from the United States Department of War to the United States Department of the Interior on April 30, 1892. The Interior Department gave some land to the Fort Peck Indian school.

In the 1880s, the U.S. government started a plan to help Native American tribes through peaceful ways. A big part of this was creating boarding schools. These schools aimed to teach Native American children English and white American culture. They also taught academic subjects and job skills.

The Fort Shaw school opened on December 27, 1892. It was called the Fort Shaw Government Industrial Indian Boarding School. Dr. William Winslow was the first superintendent. It started with 52 students, and by the end of 1893, it had 176 students.

Administrators and teachers lived in the old officers' quarters. Students lived in the former soldiers' barracks. Students were from five to 18 years old. They came from tribes in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Half of each day was spent learning English and school subjects. The rest of the day was spent working in the school's garden and stables. They also made uniforms and repaired buildings.

Girls learned cooking, sewing, cleaning, and making dairy products. Boys learned farming, ranching, blacksmithing, and carpentry. Both boys and girls played sports. Girls played double ball, lacrosse, and shinny. Boys played baseball, football, and track.

Students usually spent their first two years learning English and white cultural norms. Students moved up grades based on what they learned. The school's highest grade was eighth grade.

Dr. Winslow left in 1898, and Frederick C. Campbell became superintendent. By then, the school had 300 students from many tribes. Some students came voluntarily, but many were brought to the school by government agents.

In 1902, a girls' basketball team was started at Fort Shaw School. Fred Campbell coached the team. They played their first interscholastic game in November 1902. On January 15, 1903, they played the first basketball game in nearby Great Falls, Montana. In 1903, the team beat the women's basketball team from Montana Agricultural College twice. The Fort Shaw girls' team defeated almost every high school and college girls' team in the state. They even beat some high school boys' teams. They ended their first year as unofficial state champions.

In 1904, Superintendent Campbell agreed to send the girls' basketball team to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (St. Louis World's Fair). To pay for the trip, the team played exhibition games along the way. After each game, the girls wore traditional Native clothing. They charged 50 cents for a program of dance, music, and stories.

At the World's Fair, the girls lived and took classes at a Model Indian School. They held intra-squad games twice a week. The girls also played against any team that challenged them. The 11 girls left Fort Shaw on June 1, 1904. They won every game they played for the next five months. This earned them the title of "world champions."

The Fort Shaw Indian school closed in 1910 because not enough students were attending.

After the School Closed

After it closed as an Indian school, Fort Shaw was given to the Fort Shaw Public School District. The buildings were then used as a public school.

The name Fort Shaw was later used for a station and small town. This town was on the Great Northern Railroad line, some distance from the old fort. Today, some buildings from the old fort remain. One serves as a historical museum, open only in the summer.

Most of the existing buildings and grounds of Fort Shaw are now managed by the Sun River Valley Historical Society.

Commanding Officers

The leaders at Fort Shaw changed over time.

• 1867–1870 — 13th Infantry Regiment
  • General Phillipe Régis de Trobriand
  • Colonel I. V. D. Reeves
  • Lieutenant Colonel G. L. Andrews (post commandant)
  • Major William Clinton

• 1870–1878 — 7th Infantry Regiment
  • Colonel John Gibbon

• 1878–1888 — 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment
  • Colonel John R. Brooke
  • Lieutenant Colonel George Gibsin

• 1888–1891 — 25th Infantry Regiment
  • Lieutenant Colonel James J. Van Horn
  • Lieutenant Colonel George Leonard Andrews (commanding from Fort Missoula)

Fort Shaw Historic Site Today

In 1936, the state of Montana put up a historic marker at Fort Shaw. The marker is a redwood board with text about the fort's history. It is one of the original historic highway markers in the state.

The National Park Service thought about adding Fort Shaw to its system in the 1930s. However, they decided the site was "not of national significance." Fort Shaw is part of the Fort Shaw Historic District and Cemetery. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1985. Some parts of the fort are still standing.

Images for kids

• 

  Ft. Shaw Band under Matthew Flyn, an Army man.