Post by Diane Merkel on Oct 2, 2007 9:30:18 GMT -5
Even for a 130-year-old, the Bunkhouse Bed and Breakfast has done a lot of traveling.
The building began life in 1877 as an officers quarters at old Fort Custer, not far from Hardin. Early in the 20th century, it was moved 40 miles down the Bighorn River to the Bozeman Trail crossing near Fort Smith. Fifteen years ago, it traveled another couple of miles when it was moved into the town of Fort Smith, where it was converted into the bed and breakfast five years ago.
It apparently is the last of 11 Fort Custer officers quarters still standing. Tim McCleary, an instructor at Little Bighorn College who helped coordinate an architectural survey of historic buildings on the Crow Reservation in 1999 and 2000, said there was one other officers building southwest of Hardin when the survey was conducted, but it has since burned down.
The owners of the surviving building are Rocky and Mary Zaic, longtime residents of Fort Smith who bought the structure and converted it to the Bunkhouse Bed and Breakfast in 2002.
The article continues with a brief history of Fort Custer: www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/10/02/news/state/29-bnb.txt