After the establishment of the Wind River Reservation in 1868 Camp Augur was built (near present day Lander) to help protect the Shoshoni Indians from raids by the Sioux. Camp Augur was renamed Camp Brown and moved about 15 miles to the northwest in 1871. In 1878 the camp was renamed Fort Washakie to honor the famous Shoshone Chief. In the 1870's the base was used as a launching point for government troops and their Shoshoni allies in various military campaigns. The post was active until 1909. Many of the original buildings are still visible.

Washakie was the long-time leader of the Eastern band of the Shoshone. He was friendly towards white settlers and participated in many of the military conflicts against the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe. He was the leader of his people from 1840 until his death in 1900 and was instrumental in the creation of the Wind River Reservation. At his death he was given a full military funeral.

Frank Jay Haynes (1853-1921) was a prolific photographer who traveled throughout North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Western Canada. He was a photographer for the Northern Pacific Railroad, the Black Hills Stage Company, and the Puget Sound and Alaska Steam Ship Line. He operated studios out of Fargo, North Dakota; Yellowstone Naional Park; St. Paul, Minnesota; and a traveling railroad studio along the Northern Pacific line. In 1883 he was named the official photographer for President Chester A. Arthur's trip to Yellowstone. President Arthur and his entourage stopped at Fort Washakie in early August on their way to Yellowstone.