Fort Shaw in Cascade County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Undisputed Champions

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2019

1. Undisputed Champions Marker

Inscription. Fred C. Campbell became superintendent of the Fort Shaw Indian School in 1898. He was a progressive teacher and administrator skilled in public relations; and he quickly recognized the ability of the young women's basketball team. By 1902 he was scheduling interscholastic games with high school and college teams throughout Montana.
The girls' basketball team won games with such regularity during the next two years, Superintendent Campbell, now with the added title of Coach Campbell, challenged them to meet their academic requirements with the promise of taking the girls' basketball team to the Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis during the summer of 1904.
That dream was realized in June 1904 when the team boarded the train bound for the St. Louis World's Fair.
The exhibition games played by the ten young women from Fort Shaw proved to be of great interest to fairgoers. Toward the end of the exposition, the Indian team from Fort Shaw was challenged to a three-game series by a team of Missouri All-Stars. The winner would be named Champions of the World's Fair.
People thronged to the games played outdoors and cheered the Indian girls to victory over the Missouri All-Stars.
The Fort Shaw champions proudly brought the silver trophy home to Montana.

The boundless spirit of these
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extraordinary young women lives on in generations of their descendants.

Erected 2004 by Sun River Valley Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Sports • Women.

Location. 47° 30.564′ N, 111° 49.193′ W. Marker is in Fort Shaw, Montana, in Cascade County. It is on School Loop near Old Fort Shaw Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 School Loop, Fort Shaw MT 59443, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in andspecifically entral Montana in Russell Country. It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Fort Shaw Government Industrial Indian School (a few steps from this marker); Fort Shaw (within shouting distance of this marker); Commanding Officer's Quarters (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Fort Shaw (approx. 0.6 miles away); Sun River Crossing (approx. 5.3 miles away).

Also see . . . Champions: The Girls of Fort Shaw -- Montana Womens History. This site includes a link to Playing for the World, a Montana PBS film about the Fort Shaw Women's Basketball Team. (Submitted on December 31, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Undisputed Champions Marker, inverse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2019

2. Undisputed Champions Marker, inverse

Captions: (top left) The performances of little 9-year old Gertie LaRance (seated center) alway received a hearty welcome. She accompanied the team of champions to the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition held in Portland.; (top right) The photo of the 1904 Champions pictured on the monument was taken in front of the Model Indian School at the St. Louis World's Fair. Standing left to right: Rose LaRose, Shoshone-Bannack; Flora Lucero, Chippewa; Kate Snell, Assiniboine; Minnie Burton, Lemhi Shoshone; Genevieve Healy, Gros Ventre; Sarah Mitchell, Assiniboine; Seated left to right: Emma Sansaver, Chippewa-Cree; Genie Butch, Assiniboine; Belle Johnson, Piegan; Nettie Wirth, Assiniboine.; (bottom right) Elaborate scarf dances drew praise from those attending the St. Louis World's Fair. First row: Emma Sansaver. Second row: Katie Snell, Rose LaRose, Belle Johnson and Nettie Wirth. Top row: Genevieve Healy, Genie Butch, Minnie Burton, and Sarah Mitchell.; (bottom left) By 1903 the Fort Shaw Basketball team had become accustom to the enthusiastic applause and capacity crowds cheering them to victory. Standing (left to right) Nettlie Wirth, Belle Johnson, Minnie Burton, and Genie Butch. Seated (left to right) Adelia Gebeau, Spokane; Josephine Langley, Piegan; and Emma Sansaver.

The Fort Shaw 1904 Women's Basketball Champion Monument and Undisputed Champions Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2019

3. The Fort Shaw 1904 Women's Basketball Champion Monument and Undisputed Champions Marker

The marker is on the right.

Fort Shaw 1904 Women's Basketball Champion Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 20, 2019

4. Fort Shaw 1904 Women's Basketball Champion Monument

In honor of the 1904
Fort Shaw Indian Girls' Basketball Team

Standing from left: Rose LaRose • Flora Lecero • Katie Snell • Minnie Burton • Genevieve Healy • Sarah Mitchell
Seated from left: Emma Sansaver • Genie Butch • Bell Johnson • Nettie Wirth

Dedicated in 2004 by the Sun River Valley Historical Society
And generations of descendants of the Fort Shaw Team

Fort Shaw 1904 Women's Basketball Team image. Click for full size.

Sun River Valley Historical Society

5. Fort Shaw 1904 Women's Basketball Team

Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 783 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 31, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.