Fort Meade

For the past few nights I’ve been staying in a canyon west of Sturgis at a trail head. It’s been so quiet with the scent of pine trees blowing in the wind.

History of Fort Meade

Fort Meade was established in 1878, two years after the Battle of the Little Bighorn, as tensions between Native American tribes and incoming settlers remained high. The post was built on the edge of the Black Hills to protect the growing town of Deadwood, as well as gold prospectors pushing into the region. Custer himself never served at Fort Meade—he was killed in 1876—but his actions and the 7th Cavalry’s role in the Black Hills directly led to the Army’s decision to build and maintain the post. For more than 60 years, soldiers stationed here provided security, enforced treaty boundaries, and eventually trained new generations of cavalry. The fort remained active through World War II, closing as a military installation in 1944. Today, it stands as one of the best-preserved frontier forts in the American West.

Star Spangled Banner

The story of The Star-Spangled Banner becoming our national anthem can be traced back to Fort Meade. In 1892, Colonel Caleb Carlton ordered the song to be played at the evening Retreat ceremony, with soldiers and civilians alike expected to rise and show respect. Years later, in a 1914 letter, Carlton recalled explaining the custom to South Dakota’s Governor Sheldon during a visit to the post. Not long afterward, Carlton attended a reception hosted by Pennsylvania’s Governor Daniel Hastings, who promised to introduce the practice among the state militia. Carlton also reached out to officials in Washington, including Secretary of War Daniel Lamont, promoting the idea that the anthem should be played at all Army posts.

The tradition that began on the parade grounds of Fort Meade soon spread across the country. The Adjutant General eventually referred to The Star-Spangled Banner as “The National Air,” giving it semi-official standing within the military. The song’s association with patriotic ceremony only deepened in the decades that followed, culminating in 1931 when Congress formally declared it the national anthem of the United States. What started as a local military custom on the Dakota frontier ultimately became one of the most enduring symbols of national identity.

Mrs. Nash Noonan

One of the more surprising stories told in the museum is that of Mrs. Nash Noonan, a laundress and dressmaker who lived for a time at Fort Meade. Mentioned in the memoirs of Elizabeth Custer and Catherine Gibson, she was remembered for her presence in frontier army life. Mrs. Nash married an enlisted man named Noonan while at the fort. Only after her death and burial in North Dakota was it discovered that she was biologically male. Her story speaks to the hidden lives, resilience, and complex identities of people on the frontier, and it remains one of the most unusual chapters in Fort Meade’s history.

USS General S.D. Sturgis Namesake

Another plaque honors the naming of the USS General S.D. Sturgis, a World War II troop transport ship named after Major General Samuel D. Sturgis, for whom both Fort Meade’s nearby town of Sturgis and the fort itself carry significance. The ship carried thousands of soldiers across oceans during the war, serving as a floating reminder of the fort’s namesake and the role military leaders of the Plains era played in shaping later American history.

Native American Artifacts and Porcupine Quillwork

The museum also houses a fine collection of Native American artifacts, including clothing, bags, and ornaments decorated with porcupine quills. Before the arrival of glass trade beads, tribes of the Plains used dyed quills for highly detailed designs, weaving and flattening them into geometric patterns. The work is painstaking, requiring hours of preparation and careful craftsmanship. Seeing these artifacts up close highlights not only the artistry of Native cultures but also their ability to create beauty from natural materials at hand.

The 107-Year-Late Mail

One of the quirkiest displays tells the story of a piece of military mail that arrived at Fort Meade 107 years after it was sent. The letter, bearing the signature of President William McKinley, was addressed to Captain Charles W. Fenton of the 13th Cavalry. It turned out to be his officer’s commission from 1901. By the time it showed up in the Rapid City post office mail run, Fort Meade had long ceased being an active post, and Captain Fenton had no address there for more than a century. Postmaster Cathy Wacker laughed when she said, “It came in with my morning mail as if it were just a regular piece of mail.” Where it had been all those years is anyone’s guess.

Wood from the USS Constitution

Another unexpected artifact in the museum is a framed sales bill from the early 1800s. When the famous USS Constitution—“Old Ironsides”—was repaired, some of its original timbers were sold off as keepsakes. The frame of the document is itself made from that very wood. It’s a strange but fascinating link between an 18th-century warship and this frontier fort in the Black Hills.

Sibley Stoves

Tucked among the displays is a large Sibley stove, the kind that was standard issue in army tents across the frontier. It was a simple cone-shaped stove designed to heat the circular Sibley tents. Elizabeth “Libbie” Custer mentioned them in her book Boots and Saddles, writing: “I shall never think about a Sibley stove without gratitude, nor cease to wonder how so simple an invention can be the means of such comfort.” For soldiers enduring Dakota winters in canvas tents, that small piece of ingenuity made the difference between misery and survival.

Poker Alice

One of the more colorful figures tied to the Black Hills was Poker Alice Ivers, better known simply as “Poker Alice.” Born in England in 1851 and raised in Virginia, she received a finishing-school education back East — a background that gave her polish, good manners, and the math skills that later served her well at the card table. After her first husband, a mining engineer, died in a tragic accident, Alice turned to poker to support herself. With her sharp mind and calm presence, she quickly earned a reputation as one of the most skilled gamblers in the region.

Despite making her living in saloons, Alice never abandoned her sense of propriety. She was religious, dressed with dignity, and often said she never played cards on Sundays. Over the decades she won — and lost — several fortunes, carried a pistol for protection, and built a legend that still lives on today. Poker Alice stood out on the frontier not just because she was a woman in a man’s world, but because she brought education, refinement, and faith into places that were usually anything but refined.

The Stratosphere Balloon from Mt. Meade

One of the most surprising exhibits covers a scientific experiment from the 1930s, when a massive balloon was launched from nearby Mount Meade. Designed to study the upper atmosphere, it reached the stratosphere—tens of thousands of feet above the Earth—setting records at the time. Photographs and articles in the museum capture the daring spirit of the era, when aviation and ballooning were still pushing into uncharted territory. It’s a reminder that Fort Meade’s legacy isn’t only about soldiers on horseback but also about innovation and exploration.

Grounds Hike

I set out on the two-mile loop hike around Fort Meade using the map I picked up at the museum. The trail itself is gravel and easy to follow, circling the historic grounds where the old parade field, officers’ quarters, and stables once stood. Beyond the fort’s boundaries, the path doesn’t just end — it links into a much larger network of trails that stretch for miles in both directions. These trails connect the fort to the surrounding prairie and hillsides, offering a chance to see the Black Hills landscape much like the soldiers once did on patrol. Whether you’re walking a short loop or heading out for a longer trek, the route blends history and scenery in a way that makes the place feel alive.

Rapid City - Package Pickup

I made several orders and they had all arrived in Rapid. It was 45 minutes away and I had two stops. Both AAA and FedEx were open until 5:30. I calculated that I could pick everything up and be done by 5:00. It was hecktic drive because there was construction on the Interstate but everything went smootly. It never ceases to amazing me that I can order things from various suppliers and they arrive within days.

I was near larger grocery stores so I stocked up before heading back to Sturgis.

Black Hills National Cemetery

I stopped at Black Hills National Cemetery as the sun dipped low, the golden light casting long shadows across the rows of white headstones. The grounds were empty and quiet, and under the deep blue of a clear sky it felt like time had slowed to a standstill. The cemetery is open to any U.S. veteran with an honorable discharge, along with their spouses and children, and walking there alone made the scale of service and sacrifice tangible in a way I wasn’t expecting.

The cemetery was established in 1948 on land that had once belonged to nearby Fort Meade. The first burials were seven World War II service members whose remains had been returned from overseas, and today more than 29,000 veterans rest here. Among them are Charles A. Windolph, the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the Battle of the Little Bighorn, as well as Senator James Abourezk and former South Dakota Governor William Janklow. Black Hills National Cemetery is South Dakota’s first national cemetery and remains the only one in the state open to new burials—a place where local history, military tradition, and national memory come together in the shadow of the Black Hills.

Bear Butte

I had planned to hike up Bear Butte after returning from Rapid City with my packages, but by the time I got back it was already late in the day. I drove out toward the state park anyway, hoping to at least get close, but the entrance road was being repaved and covered in fresh oil. Rather than risk it, I pulled off nearby and settled for photographing the butte as the sun dropped behind the horizon. The fading light gave the mountain a dramatic outline, and even without the hike, it felt like the right way to close the day.

Bear Butte, just a few miles from Fort Meade, has long been a sacred site for the Lakota and Cheyenne people, a place of prayer, vision quests, and deep cultural meaning. When the Army established Fort Meade in the 1870s, soldiers often looked to the distinctive butte as a landmark on the horizon, much as Indigenous peoples had for generations. Visiting the site after walking the grounds of the fort tied the two places together for me — one representing the frontier military history of the Black Hills, the other an enduring reminder of the region’s much older spiritual roots.

I drove back to my spot at the trailhead and relaxed after a very hectic day.