 Companies F, I, K, and L of the Sixth Cavalry were augmented when Lt. Col. S.B.Hayman's 17th Infantry arrived on 3 June 1868.The fort served as a starting point for many expeditions headed westward, and for a time, it had a substantial settled community that built up around it, catering to passing wagon trains and military personnel who sought saloons for entertainment during their free or off-duty hours.