Story in Sheridan County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
Red Cloud’s Victory
By 1868 the Union Pacific Rail Road had been completed through southern Wyoming and northern Utah and a new shorter road ran north to the southwestern Montana gold fields. The Bozeman Trail became obsolete. The U.S. Government once again sought negotiations with the Lakota and Cheyenne, hoping for a solution to the fighting along the trail. Red Cloud refused to talk until the forts and the trail were abandoned, but others did negotiate and a treaty was settled upon. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 stipulated that in exchange for the military abandoning the forts along and the use of the Bozeman Trail, the Lakota would accept for their reservation the western half of South Dakota from the Missouri River to the Black Hills. The Powder River country was to remain unceded Indian land, open for hunting by all tribes. The United States Government signed this treaty as did several bands of Lakota, but it was not until the forts were actually abandoned that Red Cloud finally signed in October of 1868. For the Lakota and Cheyenne, even though greater conflicts lay in the years ahead, the Powder River Country had been saved.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Native Americans • Wars, US Indian. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1868.
Location. 44° 33.514′ N, 106° 53.9′ W. Marker is in Story, Wyoming, in Sheridan County. Marker can be reached from Wagon Box Road. Marker is located on a walking trail at the Wagon Box Fight Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Story WY 82842, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Wagon Box Fight: Continuing Controversies (a few steps from this marker); To Save the Powder River Country (a few steps from this marker); Wood Cutting: A Hazardous Harvest (a few steps from this marker); The Aftermath: Two Versions of Victory (a few steps from this marker); The Battle, August 2, 1867 (a few steps from this marker); Valor in Attack (a few steps from this marker); A Fight to Survive (within shouting distance of this marker); Wagon Box Monument (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Story.
More about this marker. A map of the Northern Plains in 1868 appears on the left side of the marker. It shows the Crow and Sioux reservations, American forts, and the Union Pacific Railroad.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. See all of the markers found on the Wagon Box Fight walking trail.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 19, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 358 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 19, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.