Fort Custer, Military fort near Hardin, Montana, United States.
Fort Custer was a military post located between the Big Horn and Little Big Horn Rivers in Montana with a structured layout around a central parade ground. The facility housed quarters for ten companies and stables for six cavalry troops within its defensive perimeter.
Lieutenant-Colonel G. P. Buell established the fort in 1877 with the 11th Infantry to enforce control over Sioux, Cheyenne, and Crow lands in the region. This outpost was part of the broader military expansion and consolidation of authority across Montana territories.
Native American tribes gave the name Buffalo Soldiers to the Black soldiers of the Tenth Cavalry who served here starting in 1892. This name reflected the respect these troops earned from the indigenous people they encountered.
The fort site is marked on the Crow Indian Reservation south of Interstate 90 where it crosses the Big Horn River near Hardin. A marker indicates the location, making it straightforward to find when traveling through the region.
The original buildings of the fort were dismantled, and their materials were reused to construct portions of the nearby town of Hardin. This recycling directly connected the military site to the founding of the local settlement.
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