Fort Missoula

Established by the U.S. Army in 1877, the fort's purpose was to protect frontier settlers from possible attacks by nearby Native American tribes. Its purpose morphed with the changing times - housing military units such as an 25th Infantry Regiment made up of black soldiers and white officers in 1888 and then an experimental bicycle unit in 1896 (which concluded that horses were still better). In the 20th century, the fort was used as a training center during WWI and WWII.