The 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments — the famed "Buffalo Soldiers," so called by the indigenous peoples for the similarity to the short curly haired buffalo that roamed the plains — have been stationed at Fort Riley several times during their history. Shortly after their formation in 1866, the 9th Cavalry passed through here en route to permanent stations in the southwest. They returned during the early 1880s and the early part of the 20th century before being permanently assigned as troop cadre for the Cavalry School during the 1920s and 1930s.