[1] Fort Maginnis was established in 1880, 4 1/2 miles east of Maiden, Montana Territory, (now a ghost town) by companies of the 3rd Infantry Regiment (United States) under the command of Captain Daingerfield Parker.
The fort was named for Martin Maginnis, Major of the 11th Minnesota Infantry during the Civil War, and the then U.S. Representative from Montana Territory's At-large district.
[3][4] Although surrounded by open range, the ranch was located close to the fort which provided both protection from a limited Indian threat but a ready market for cattle.
Some of its buildings were purchased, dismantled, and rebuilt in Lewistown; one is the Abraham and Mary Walton Hogeland House, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The site of the fort is located about 27.4 miles (44.1 km) northeast of present-day Lewistown, Montana in ranching country, on the west side of the Judith Mountains, along Ford Creek.