Fort Parker Historical Site

Just a few miles east of Livingston, at Interstate 90 mile marker 343, there is a sign that reads Mission Creek, No Services. Beneath that sign is a brown sign with while letters telling passersby of the Fort Parker Historical Site. Fort Parker was built in 1869 as a result an 1868 treaty with the Crow Indians. Unlike the military forts in the area which were established to protect the settlers from the Indians, this fort or agency was a safe refuge for the Crow Tribe, from the Sioux, Cheyenne and Blackfoot tribes.

Original Fort Parker

The original log fort was similar in design to the military forts in the area. It burned down in 1870, only a year after it was built. The replacement was an adobe structure which was only used for a few years before the agency was moved to the Absorkee area, and later to its current location near Hardin.

You will not find any remnants of the fort left at the site, instead there are a series of interpretive signs in a ring around a symbolic teepee made of iron pipe. It is worth a ten or fifteen minute stop to stretch your legs and learn a little bit about the area’s history.





One interesting note, something that is not mentioned on any of the signs, is that the fort was named for Ely Samuel Parker, first native American to be named Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Parker served as an officer in the Civil War even though he was not considered a U.S. Citizen. While Parker’s only connection to Montana history is his name on Fort Parker, his story is one that would appeal to anyone interested in U.S. History. I encourage you to do a little research about him. There are several online sources available.