Fort Shaw, Montana Community Information

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  Horses from Square Butte Ranch

  Photo courtesy: Square Butte Ranch

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  Scenic View

  Photo courtesy: Square Butte Ranch

Fort Shaw, on the Sun River, is twenty-four miles west of Great Falls. Built in 1867, it was first named Camp Reynolds then changed to honor Colonel Robert Shaw, a Civil War soldier. It was established as a military post to protect travelers on the Mullan Road and early settlers from raiding Blackfeet. General Gibbon rode out from Fort Shaw in 1876 with the Seventh Infantry with order to join Terry and Custer.

Fort Shaw has been called the "Queen of Montana's Posts"(Koury); it boasted one building that was 125 feet long. Many "brilliant theatrical functions" were held here, including the first professional stage performance in Montana. The theater had log benches with no backs for the seats; these were moved out for dances on the floor of hard-packed earth.

Fort Shaw was abandoned as a military post in 1890 but later served as an Indian school. The name Fort Shaw was revived when it became a station on the Vaughn-Augusta branch line of the Great Northern Railroad. (from Cheney's Names on the Face of Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company)