Fort Union Trading Post

https://www.nps.gov/fous/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Union_Trading_Post_National_Historic_Site Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is a partial reconstruction of the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri, 1829-1867. The fort site is about two miles from the confluence of the Missouri River and its tributary, the Yellowstone River, on the North Dakota/Montana border, 25 miles from Williston, North Dakota. The historic site interprets how portions of the fort may have looked in 1851, based on archaeological excavations as well as drawings by contemporaries, including Rudolf Kurz, the post clerk in 1851. Between 1828 and 1867, Fort Union was the most important fur trade post on the Upper Missouri River. Here, the Assiniboine and six other Northern Plains Tribes exchanged buffalo robes and smaller furs for goods from around the world, including cloth, guns, blankets, and beads. A bastion of peaceful coexistence, the post annually traded over 25,000 buffalo robes and $100,000 in merchandise. Located on North Dakota Highway 1804 right at the Montana and North Dakota state line. From Williston, ND, approximately 25 miles to the southwest via ND Highways 2 & 1804. From Sidney, MT, approximately 25 miles to the northeast, via MT Highways 200 & 58. Commercial flights and rental cars are available in both Williston, ND and Sidney, MT. Amtrak passenger train service and rental cars are available in Williston, ND. Bourgeois House Visitor Center Located in the center of the fort's courtyard is the Bourgeois House Visitor Center. The reconstructed building documents Fort Union's life and history through exhibits and park videos. The exhibits include artifacts recovered during the extensive archaeological excavations. The information gained in these excavations made the fort's reconstruction possible. This fully accessible building includes a ranger-staffed information desk, brochures and Jr. Ranger program. Located on North Dakota Highway 1804 right on the Montana and North Dakota state line. From Williston, ND, approximately 25 miles to the southwest via ND Highways 2 & 1804. From Sidney, MT, approximately 25 miles to the northeast, via MT Highway 200 & ND Highway 58. River View of Fort Union View from Missouri River bottoms of Southwest bastion Viewing Fort Union Trading Post from the Missouri River bottoms one can imagine how grandiose the site would appear to weary steamboat travelers. Twilight View of the Bourgeois House Candles illuminate the Bourgeois House porch at dusk Volunteer reenactors relax on the Bourgeois House porch Fort Union Trading Post Courtyard Courtyard of Fort Union Trading Post with Bourgeois House, Tipis and US Flag Ranging from employee housing, workshops, storage warehouses, domestic animal pens and horse corrals, the courtyard housed the world at Fort Union. Fort Union and the Missouri River Valley View of Fort Union and the Missouri River looking south Visitors hiking the scenic Bodmer Trail experience a historical view of Fort Union, and the same view painted by Karl Bodmer in 1833. Tipis fill the fields around at Fort Union White canvas tipis in grassy area, Fort in background. During the height of the spring trade season camps from various Upper Missouri Tribes would fill the plateau around Fort Union. Natawista Iksina (Medicine Snake Woman) A Powerful Woman, Then and Now. Natawista, or Medicine Snake Woman, was around 15 when Alexander Culbertson, then about 30, proposed marriage to her family. The story is legendary, the consequences impact the the trade at Both Fort Union and Fort Benton, the northern intercontinental railroad survey expedition, Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 and John James Audubon's time at Fort Union, among other events! Women seated with black dress, pinned white collar with cameo, wearing a cross necklace. Bear Skins in the Fur Trade The fur trade shaped American history, largely financing the exploration and settlement of much of the West. Village during the fur trade era Plant Community Monitoring at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site As the landscape surounding Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site underwent a transformation from a frontier to an agricultural environment in recent history, it led to the reduction and extirpation of native plant species, followed by the introduction or invasion of exotics. Plant community monitoring has been conducted at the park since 2011, and is critical for understanding the current health of ecosystems and providing feedback on management activities. close up of a grass that has tiny oval seads on lots of delicate stalks Fort Union Trading Post (ND) In late April 1805 the Corps of Discovery set up camp near present-day Fort Union, near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. This area was also home to animals never before seen by an American citizens - the bighorn (Rocky Mountain) sheep, and the “white bear.” On April 14 Clark saw his first "white bear," a creature so dreaded that American Indians would only hunt them in groups of eight to 10 men. teepees outside of fort union trading post Bat Projects in Parks: Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Across six Northern Great Plains parks, education and outreach for bats was conducted. View of Badlands National Parks unique rock formations in the distance Bat Acoustic Monitoring at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site The Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network monitors bats to detect long-term trends in bat poulations at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site. Acoustic recorders detect the unique ultrasonic calls bats use for echolocation. Monitoring helps protect the bat communities that live and forage in the park. A gloved hand gently holds a bat with one wing outstretched NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, North Dakota and Montana Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. cart with visitor center in background 19th Century Archeology at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site The fur trading post Fort Union was established in 1828 by the American Fur Company. Located at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers in North Dakota, the trading post was used from 1823 to 1867. The post became a National Historic Site in 1966. bulls battling with men and horses painting North Dakota: Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site Strategically located near the homelands of 10 Northern Plains tribes, Fort Union was the most important trading post of the Upper Missouri fur trade until smallpox decimated the population of numerous Plains tribes. After resentment toward the white encroachment into Indian Territory led to Sioux hostilities, the need for trading posts declined as the call for military posts increased. Fort Union Trading Post Fort Union's Trade House Trade with the Assiniboine and other Northern Plains Tribes was the core of the American Fur Company's success, enabling Fort Union Trading Post to become the longest lasting Fur Trading post in the US. Learn here how those trades took place in the fort's most rustic building. Two seated men discuss trade. Series: Plant Community Monitoring in Northern Great Plains Network Parks Plant communities are essential components of all major ecosystems. Plants are the ultimate source of food for other organisms and the main source of organic material in soil and water. They also influence climate and provide the scenery that park visitors enjoy. The NPS Northern Great Plains Network monitors the number, identity, and relative abundance of plant species, as well as their horizontal cover and vertical structure, to determine the health of park ecosystems. Two people sitting on the ground looking at plants Plan Like a Park Ranger: Top 10 Tips for Visiting Fort Union Trading Post NHS Are you ready to explore Fort Union Trading Post NHS? Use these 10 tips to plan your trip like a Ranger! Things to Do in North Dakota Find things to do in North Dakota. View of seven bison on on a ridge with ridges stretching into the distance behind. Series: Things to Do in the Midwest There is something for everyone in the Midwest. See what makes the Great Plains great. Dip your toes in the continent's inland seas. Learn about Native American heritage and history. Paddle miles of scenic rivers and waterways. Explore the homes of former presidents. From the Civil War to Civil Rights, discover the stories that shape our journey as a nation. Steep bluff with pink sky above and yellow leaves below. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Project Profile: Restore Mixed Grass Prairie Ecosystems Through Leveraged Conservation Actions in Central United States The National Park Service will restore mixed grass prairie in parks in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska through planting native species on lands once used for agriculture. Restoration will include the control of invasive plants, prescribed fire, and the development of new seed sources for plants that are currently scarce in the region. Brown, rocky mountain formation against a blue sky Project Profile: Produce Seed for Central Grassland Ecosystems The National Park Service will increase native seed availability for plants in the mixed grass and tallgrass prairie of the Central U.S., advancing the National Seed Strategy priorities. The project will support established relationships with academic, interagency, and Tribal partners, as well as other stakeholders for seed production. Close up view of a rye plant in a green grassland field.

Fort Union Trading Post Official Map and Guide Fort Union Trading Post in 1833, by Karl Bodmer Outpost on the Missouri John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company built Fort Union in 1829 near the junction of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in what is now North Dakota. The post soon became headquarters tor trading beaver furs and buffalo hides with the Assiniboin Indians to the north, the Crow Indians on the upper Yellowstone, and the Blackfeet who lived farther up the Missouri. o CO cj X c c o 5 Much of the fort's early success was due to Kenneth McKenzie. He not only supervised its construction but served as the first bourgeois, or superintendent, of the Astor-affiliated Upper Missouri Outfit, as the operation at the trading post was called. The Scottish-born McKenzie came to the United States by way of Canada, where he gained experience in the fur trade by working for that country's North West Company. He was a proud, ruthless man and he set out to dominate the upper Missouri trade. Others would compete with him, but none succeeded for long. Kenneth McKenzie, founder of Fort Union. Fort Union stood on a grassy plain that stretched away to the north for a mile, thus providing ample space for Indian camps at trading time. A stout palisade of vertical loos enclosed a quadrangle 220 by 240 feet. Employees occupied rooms in a long building on the west side of the interior. A similar building on the east side contained a retail store and storerooms for furs and various food items. At the north end stood the imposing bourgeois house and, behind it, a bell tower and kitchen. The main gate, used by freight wagons and the trading public, opened on the south or river side; another gate on the opposite side led to the prairie. Near the main gate were a reception room for Indians and shops for the blacksmith and the tinner. Other structures included an icehouse, a powder magazine, and enclosures for animals. Impressive two-story stone bastions at the northeast and southwest corners of the fort served as observation posts and defensive positions. A great flagstaff stood in the center of the court. 6 < Setting Trap tor Beaver, by Alfred Jacob Miller. years compiling information about the Indian tribes of the upper Missouri which proved of inestimable value to ethnologists. He also contributed many skins and skulls of upper Missouri mammals and birds to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The American Fur Company's policy of helping travelers to visit its posts on the Missouri brought many famed men—adventurers, scientists, artists, priests—to Fort Union. One of the first, artist George Catlin, arrived in 1832 on board the Yellow Stone, the first upper Missouri steamboat to reach the fort. Prince Maximilian of Wied, Father Pierre De Smet, John James Audubon, Karl Bodmer, and Rudolph Frederich Kurz were among other early visitors who made paintings of the fort or wrote vivid accounts of life there. The company also encouraged its bourgeois and clerks to collect and prepare specimens for scientific study. Edwin Thompson Denig, for example, who started out as a clerk at Fort Union and retired 25 years later as bourgeois, spent considerable time during those When McKenzie established Fort Union, beaver had been in great demand for nearly three decades. Starting in the early 1830s, however, silk hats began to replace beaver hats as status symbols and the demand for beaver skins declined. But the demand for tanned buffalo robes increased, and this, coupled with improved river transportation, caused Fort Union to thrive. Trade remained brisk until 1837, when smallpox wrought havoc among the Indian tribes. Despite the tragedy, the robe trade continued, slowly for a time but gradually increasing in volume again. As Fort Union approached its quarter century, signs of coming change were apparent on the upper Missouri. Buffalo herds were still immense, but white civilization was beginning to encroach on the homelands of the Plains Indians. The Sioux became more and more hostile. In 1857 smallpox struck again, and many of the Plains tribes broke up into bands and scattered to escape the scourge. As a result, not many Indians traded at Fort Union that summer. By the time the Civil War began four years later, trade in general had declined and the post was in need of repair. In the summer of 1864 Gen. Alfred Sully who had been sent west as part of the Army's efforts to curb the ongoing Sioux depredations, described Fort Union as "an old dilapidated affair, almost falling to pieces." An infantry company was stationed there during the winter to guard supplies until a regular Army post could be built. In June 1866, a new infantry company arrived on the upper Missouri and commenced the construction of an Army post, Fort Buford, at the site of old Fort William, the earliest Fort Union competitor. By then Fort Union had been sold to the Northwest Fur Company, which tried to continue the trading activity but finally ga