The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1952-06-19

he National Park Service. ON
: The ceremonies are being ar
ranged by the National Park
| Service, which administers the
Custer : Battlefield National
Monument. The Monument, eS-
tablished first as a national
cemetery in 1885, is the site of
the Battle of the Little Bighorn
river, June 25-26. 1876, in which
Brevert Major General George
A. Custer and 262 of his cav
airy command were killed in an
engagement with the Sioux and
Cheyenne Indians. June Is will
be the 18th anniversary of the
famous battle.
Judge Ben HARDWOOD of Bill
ingS will be the principal speak
er at the dedication. Gov. John
| w. Bonner will represent the
state of Montana, and George
w. Will, president of the North
Dakota Historical society, will
represent the governor of
North Dakota.
Gen. Jonathan NJ. VAIN
wright, USA retired, will par
ticipate in the ceremonies by
presenting a historic rifle to
the museum. r. II. Lee, assist
ant director, National Park
Service, will deliver the well
coming address, and Major E.
S. Luce, superintendent of Gus
ter Battlefield National Mon
ument, will be master of cere-
monies.
The building is a o~ne-story,
reinforced concrete structure of
contemporary design. Its con-
Struction was begun in August,
1850, and completed in, July,
1851. The installation of exhib-
it's was completed only recently.
The building will serve a dou-
bile purpose as it viii be both
an administrative and interpre-
tive center.
The museum room is divided
into three separate sections by
a simple arrangement of eX-
hibit units. The first group tells
the story of the battle. of the
Little Bighorn, the second is
devoted to the Indians who
participated in the battle, and
the third relates the life of
General Custer, and the history
of the Seventh Cavalry.
Immediately after entering the
exhibit room, the visitor comes
upon a copy of the first pub
liShed account Of the battle,
which appeared in the Bis
marck Tribune. Bismarck, N.
d, July 8, 1876. This is followed
by a diorama of Clusters Last
Stand" an artists portrayal of
the battle in it's last stages.
The next several exhibits are
designed to acquaint the visitor
with the causes of the battle,
the Army'S expedition against
the Indians, and the details of
the battle.
The circulation pattern
eventually brings the visitor in
to an orientation room which
els glass nclosed on three sides,
thus permitting a sweeping
view of much of the Custer
Battlefield and the valley Of
the Little Bighorn in which the
Indians were encamped. In the
center of this room is a large
relief model of the Battlefield
area. Here visitors will be or
tented before thy traVl out oV-
r the actual ground where the
battle was fought. =
The museum displays many
articles left to the Monument
by Mrs. Elizabeth E. Custer,
the widow of General Custer.
It also includes many fine OBJ
jects of interest donated by
other public spirited citizens.
The Department of the Army
has been most cooperative in
assisting with the exhibit story
of. the Seventh Cavalry, MIR.
Baker said.
The exhibit plan was prepar-
ed by Historian Harry B.. Rob-
inson of the Region 2 office,
National Park Service, and the
exhibits were designed and con-
structed at the National Park
Service museum laboratory in
Washington, D. G., under the
general supervision Of, Ned j.
Burns, chief of the museum
branch. Mr.. Burns modelled and
finished all the important fig
ures in the Clusters Last
Stand" diorama.