[1] The fort was built in June 1875 and was named for its builder, inspector James Morrow Walsh.

[2] The fort was intended to curb the illegal whisky trade, protect Canada's nearby border with the United States, and aid with native policy.

[2] These factors had been brought to public attention following the Cypress Hills Massacre of 1873 and resulted in Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's establishment of the NWMP.

[3] The fort was later reconstructed in the 1940s to breed horses for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Musical Ride.

Tourists can tour the fort's buildings, the former townsite, cemeteries, and the whisky trading post.