Fort Hays was established in 1865 as a noted U.S. Army post and headquarters for troops assigned to protect military roads, guard the mails, and defend construction crews on the Union Pacific Railway. It also served as a major supply depot for other army posts in western Kansas. The convergence of the fort, the railroad, and the Smoky Hill Trail led to the creation of nearby Hays City, where soldiers, freighters, and railroad workers crowded dance halls, saloons, and gambling houses, and during its brief period as the most lawless town on the frontier, more than 50 Boot Hill burials occurred. Some of those deaths were caused by James C. Hickock, better known as Wild Bill, who served for a time as local law officer. Fort Hays was at various times home to the 7th U.S. Cavalry commanded by George A. Custer and to the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th U.S. Cavalry regiments, and Buffalo Bill Cody also spent time there while serving as an army scout. Although Fort Hays was abandoned in 1889, four original structures still stand, including the blockhouse, guardhouse, and two officers' quarters.