Fort Buford

Fort Buford

In July 1891, two companies of African Americans from the 25th Infantry Regiment arrived at Fort Buford on the upper Missouri, quickly followed by a third. The next summer, two companies from the 10th Cavalry joined them.

By 1893, Fort Buford was made up entirely of black enlisted men; the only whites at the fort were commissioned officers. Native Americans called these buffalo soldiers because their hair reminded them of curly buffalo hair. Due to the settlement of the region and the poor condition of the post, Fort Buford was decommissioned by the Army on October 1, 1895.

Today the North Dakota State Historical Society runs Fort Buford as Fort Buford State Historic Site.