Initial Rock, also known as Name Rock, in the Medora Ranger District of the Little Missouri National Grassland, near

Medora, North Dakota Medora is a city in Billings County, North Dakota, Billings County, North Dakota, United States. The only municipal corporation, incorporated place in Billings County, it is also the county seat. Much of the surrounding area is part of either Litt ...

, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1976. It was the site of an overnight camp on May 28, 1876 of George Armstrong Custer's men, on their way to the Battle of Little Big Horn, which happened on June 25, 1876. The NRHP listing included one contributing site and one contributing object on . Two soldiers, W.C. Williams and F. Neely, carved their names in a rock still present at the site. Williams and Neely, under the command of

Marcus Reno Marcus Albert Reno (November 15, 1834 – March 30, 1889) was a United States career military officer who served in the American Civil War where he was a combatant in a number of major battles, and later under George Armstrong Custer in the Gr ...

, survived the battle. and A shelter over the rock has prevented further weathering and vandalism since 1966. It is one of five sites that are included in

Custer Military Trail Historic Archaeological District The Custer Military Trail Historic Archeological District is a national historic district consisting of located in Billings and Golden Valley Counties in North Dakota. The district includes five historic sites associated with the Plains Indian ...

, which is a large historic district that was listed on the NRHP in 2009. These sites are documented as part of a driving tour through the region.

References

Geography of Billings County, North Dakota Inscribed rocks Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in North Dakota National Register of Historic Places in Billings County, North Dakota Historic district contributing properties in North Dakota Great Sioux War of 1876 Individual rocks Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in North Dakota {{NorthDakota-NRHP-stub