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.