The Story
On December 23, 1874, the Gordon Party — 26 men, one woman, and a child, led by guide John Gordon — reached Custer's old expedition camp on French Creek and built a log stockade. The lone woman, Annie Tallent, is widely credited as the first white woman to enter the Black Hills and later became the region's first schoolteacher. Their presence was illegal under the 1868 treaty; in April 1875 the U.S. Cavalry evicted them and marched the party 421 miles to Fort Laramie. Today's stockade is a reconstruction — the third, completely rebuilt in 2004.
Surprising Facts
→ The party's lone woman, Annie Tallent, was the first white woman to enter the Black Hills.
→ Built secretly in December 1874, it evaded the Army until spring 1875.
→ The evicted party was marched 421 miles to Fort Laramie, Wyoming.