by Aaron L. Barth (Author)
Established in November 1872, Fort Abraham Lincoln was part of a larger complex of military forts throughout the United States. Named in memory of President Lincoln, the fort protected railroad workers as they continued westward construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Famous figures associated with the fort include George Custer; his Arikara scout Bloody Knife; and individuals from the Oceti Sakowin, what in the 19th century was called the Great Sioux Nation, including Rain-in-the-Face, Long Soldier, and Thunder Hawk. In the late 1870s, the fort also served as a place for Nez Perce POWs. In 1891, the fort was decommissioned. The nonprofit Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation spearheaded reconstruction in the 1980s. Several earth lodges from On-A-Slant were also built, and world-class interpretive programming was developed.