Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site | |
 | |
   | |
| Location | McKenzie andWilliams counties,North Dakota, andRichland andRoosevelt counties,Montana[1] |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Williston, North Dakota |
| Coordinates | 47°59′58″N104°2′26″W / 47.99944°N 104.04056°W /47.99944; -104.04056 |
| Area | 444 acres (1.80 km2) |
| Built | 1828 (1828) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Visitation | 12,028 (2024) |
| Website | Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000103 (original) 100011805 (increase 1) 100011806 (increase 2) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[2] |
| Boundary increases | May 9, 2025 May 9, 2025 |
| Designated NHL | July 4, 1961[3] |
| Designated NHS | June 20, 1966 |
Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site is a partial reconstruction of the most important fur trading post on the upperMissouri River from 1829 to 1867. The fort site is about two miles from the confluence of the Missouri River and its tributary, theYellowstone River, on the Dakota side of theNorth Dakota/Montana border, 25 miles fromWilliston, North Dakota.
In 1961, the site was designated by the Department of Interior as one of the earliest declaredNational Historic Landmarks in the United States.[3][4] TheNational Park Service formally named it as Fort Union Trading Post to differentiate it fromFort Union National Monument, a historic frontier Army post inNew Mexico.
The historic site interprets how portions of the fort may have looked in 1851, based on archaeological excavations and contemporary drawings. Among the sources were drawings by Swiss artistRudolf Kurz, who worked as the post clerk in 1851.
Fort Union, possibly first known asFort Henry or Fort Floyd, was built in 1828 or 1829 by theUpper Missouri Outfit managed byKenneth McKenzie; it was capitalized byJohn Jacob Astor'sAmerican Fur Company, Astor having created a virtual monopoly in fur trading.[5]
Until 1867, Fort Union was the central, and busiest, trading post on the upper Missouri, instrumental in developing thefur trade in Montana. HereAssiniboine,Crow,Cree,Ojibwe,Blackfoot,Hidatsa,Lakota, and other tribes tradedbuffalo robes and furs for trade goods. There was a market in manufactured beads,[6] clay pipes,[7] guns, blankets, knives, cookware, cloth, and alcohol. Historic visitors to the fort includedJohn James Audubon,Sha-có-pay, CaptainJoseph LaBarge,Kenneth McKenzie,[8] Jesuit missionary FatherPierre-Jean De Smet, artistGeorge Catlin,[9]Sitting Bull,Karl Bodmer,Hugh Glass, and traderJim Bridger.
At first, Indians traded beaver pelts for Euro-American goods because there was demand for beaver hats in the East and in Europe. During the 1830s, silk and woolen hats became more popular and demand for beaver pelts decreased. The trade shifted to bison robes.[10]
During the historical period, Fort Union served as a haven for many frontier people and contributed to economic growth on the American northwestern frontier. As headquarters for the American Fur Company, it played a primary role in the growth of the fur trade. Fur trade entrepreneurs, such as Astor and successors, exerted considerable influence on government policies that affected the Indian nations of the region. The presence of the fort near the northern border of the United States also symbolized national sovereignty in the region.[11]
The fort maintained a large inventory of firearms that were traded with Indian tribes for furs. In turn, Indians used the firearms in hunting for furs and buffalo robes. Northern Plains Indians preferred the English-made "North West Gun," a smooth-bore flintlock, because of its reputation for quality and reliability.[12]
Conflicts between Euro-American traders and Indians were less frequent around Fort Union than were conflicts among the Indian tribes themselves.[13] However, during the summer of 1863, following the Dakota Wars of 1862, many tribes along the upper Missouri River became openly hostile to whites. At times Fort Union was nearly under siege, and the steamboats and their passengers were exposed to significant danger along the river.[14]
In May 2025, an armed individual barricaded himself inside Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, prompting a law enforcement response. The individual confronted a park employee at the entrance while armed with a fire poker and escorted them off the property. Damage to park structures was discovered, including a broken lock and a missing donation box. The suspect was later observed inside the fort, armed with firearms, and claimed to have ample supplies to remain barricaded within the site. He also threatened to burn down the fort and destroy historical artifacts. Later in the day, a SWAT team and negotiators successfully secured the individual’s surrender.[15] The incident marked a rare instance in recent history in which a historic fort was unlawfully occupied and temporarily taken control of by an armed individual.
Media related toFort Union Trading Post National Historic Site at Wikimedia Commons
