He quickly saw that the seat of Zaodo Domain was in a poor location prone to flooding by the Shinano River, and built a new castle on the high ground on the opposite back at what is now Nagaoka.

During the Battle of Hokuetsu in the Boshin War, Nagaoka joined the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei, and was the site of fierce fighting between pro-Tokugawa forces and the imperial army.

Kawai Tsugunosuke and Yamamoto Tatewaki were two senior Nagaoka commanders during the war.

Under the new Meiji government, the final daimyō of Nagaoka, Makino Tadakatsu served as domain governor, and later was a student at Keio Gijuku.

His brother, Makino Tadaatsu was given the kazoku peerage title of shishaku (viscount) and served as Mayor of Nagaoka and as a member of the House of Peers.