Exhibit Marks the 130th Anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn
An exhibit tracing the history of the Battle of the Little Bighorn has been installed in the Special Collections of the University of Iowa Libraries. This year marks the 130th anniversary of this famous battle. Emeritus Librarian Robert McCown curated the exhibit with assistance from Jacque Roethler and Denise Anderson.
In the summer of 1876 a crisis arose between the U.S. government and the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne tribes. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry were dispatched to southeastern Montana. After hearing reports of a large Sioux and Northern Cheyenne encampment along the Little Bighorn river, Custer decided to attack. A few hundred cavalry troops met several thousand Indians. Today the site of the battle can be visited at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Crow Agency, Montana, about sixty miles north of Sheridan, Wyoming.
The exhibit contains books and manuscripts from the UI Libraries Special Collections as well as a descriptive map of the battlefield from the Map Department.
The exhibit is free and open to the public during regular library hours and will run through September. Special Collections is located on the third floor of the Main Library and open Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. If you’re interested in learning more about the materials in Special Collections, online finding aids provide detailed information.
