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 along the south bank of the Sun River near the present day town of Fort Shaw, Cascade County, Montana. Renamed Fort Shaw 1 Aug 1867 after Colonel Robert G. Shaw, 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, who was killed before Fort Wagner (1) 18 Jul 1863 during the U.S. Civil War. Abandoned in 1891 and transferred to the Interior Department in 1892. 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 as a U.S. Army Infantry post 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 stables and a bakery were among the out buildings around the perimeter of the post. The post was abandoned on 21 Jul 1891 and was transferred to the Interior Department 30 Apr 1892. It served as the Fort Shaw Government Industrial Indian School from 1892 until 1910 and then was granted to Cascade County School District No. 82 by Act of Congress (Act of 28 Feb 1919, public, No. 305). 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 Government Industrial School Marker USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 774927 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