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 cl...
The Fort Union Association's vision is to promote Fort Union Trading Post as the premier trading post on the upper Missouri River in the mid 1800s, and establish Fort Union as the foremost source for information, history, and the authentic reproduction items on the upper Missouri River system.
From the front entrance of the Visitor Center the first room you enter is the Park Store. Directly across from the front entrance is the Visitor Center and Park Store sales desk. Behind the desk is a large National Park Service Arrowhead. This desk is currently under remodel. Three walls have grey slat wall with various sales items displayed.
A record of peaceful trade? Learn what significant event Moncravie painted to commemorate bridging adversaries for commerce.
DESCRIBING: A painted sign above the front entrance gate of the Fort. SYNOPSIS: The photograph shows a painting of eight people meeting to begin trade negotiations. In the middle an American Indian and a trader peacefully shake hands. To the left of the hand shaking duo are three American Indians standing watching the meeting, to the right of the handshaking three white traders also look watch the proceedings. A large powerful painting of a golden-brown eagle is painted over the meeting holding onto a greenery branch and four arrows in its talons. IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Starting on the left side of the painting, the first male is painted with medium warm brown skin. From bottom to top he is wearing tan moccasins, a green blanket wrapped around his waist, bright red face paint and a headdress of white and black feathers. To his right is a male wearing tan moccasins, tan colored clothing, tan colored face paint and a white and black feathered headdress. To his right the next man is wearing and is has wrapped his whole body in a scarlet red blanket, he is also wearing a black and white feathered headdress. In the center of the painting appears to be an American Indians chief and trader shaking hands. The chief is wearing a headdress which consists of feathers that are white with a black tip, ponytail, and tan colored clothing down to his moccasins. His clothing is leather and had tassels hanging from the leg seams and down his arm seams. Shaking his hand is a trader wearing a tall black top hat, blue coat with gold buttons down the front, and grey pants and black shoes. The right side of the painting there are three traders. Starting from left to right, a man wearing a black top hat, blue coat and pants, and black shoes holding what looks to be a gold circular trade item. To his right is a man wearing a brown brimmed cap, tan shirt and pants and black boots holding a red cotton blanket. To his right is a man wearing a brown brimmed cap, tan shirt and pants, black boots, and holds a red cotton blanket. Above this meeting encapsulated in a yellow and white flower semi-circle is a large eagle with its wings outstretched. It has a gold beak and one angry siding eye. In its talons, it is clutching a greenery branch and four yellow feathered arrows.
Although the bastions were constructed for defense purposes, they were hardly ever needed for that purpose as the fort enjoyed economic stability and was built at the request of the Assiniboine. This bastion also served as storage facilities, housing for employees and visitors, and even a studio for artist George Catlin.
The bastion is a three-story stone building with a red pointed roof. Its walls are made up of unfinished fieldstones of varying sizes which have been whitewashed to give it a cohesive look. The building is slightly bigger at the base and gets smaller as it rises. Each bastion has a tall finial with a wrought-iron animal weathervane on top - an eagle on the southwest and a buffalo on the northeast. The first story has large square port holes cut into the walls with green doors that open inwards for cannon ports. The second story has one cannon port centered on each wall and three long narrow slits for rifle ports. The top story has no gun ports but has a doorway accessible to a walking gallery along the roofline. Inside the room that is accessible to the public, the second story of the southwest bastion, it is a square room with whitewashed walls and visible cannon-port doors. A ladder leads up to the third story, and there are two trap doors, both secured with locks. The cannon-port doors swing in and flip up, hanging on large round ironworks attached to the doors and hooks driven deep into the wood that surrounds the cannon port. The rifle ports also have plugs, which are green painted rectangle blocks shaped like cones to fit the oblong space and lined with buffalo fur. In the southwest corner, there is a blue painted gun rack with some faux replica long guns on display. These faux replica long guns are steel tubing for the barrel set in a brown painted "gun stock" of pine. There is also a large black cannon on a light blue squat and stocky base with wheels.
The Bourgeois House used to be a roomy and cozy residence for the management personnel, their families, and had a grand dining room. Presently, the Bourgeois House has undergone reconstruction and now serves as the Visitor Center, museum, park store, resource library, archives, and administrative offices for the park.
The courtyard is dominated by a large, imposing structure with white siding that stands in stark contrast to the dark green shutters and bright red roof and chimneys. The main floor features eight large windows, each with divided glass panes, and two shutters on either side. Positioned slightly to the left of center is a green door. The front of the house is enclosed by a white fence, and a wooden porch with steps leading to the entrance door. This porch extends to a balcony on the second story. The floor area on the second story is smaller than the main floor, as it is a story and a half. On top of the balcony, there is a painted bust of a man's profile, laurel wreaths, and the date 1851 written below.
Tracking trade and keeping up with the latest trends was important to driving a successful bargain. Explore the activities going down in the clerk's office to ensure profits remained high.
Rectangle shaped room, the walls and ceiling are covered in whitewashed muslin. The whitewash is aged, in areas the cracks in the whitewash look like elaborate spiderweb. In the corners it has aged to a butter yellow color. Large pieces of whitewash are also flaking off of the muslin, creating a lived-in rustic atmosphere. As you walk in, the entrance door is in the middle of the north wall. to your left is a tall and shallow wooden bench made of a medium-colored wood, it looks and is uncomfortable. Hanging above it is a long linear flag. Shaped like banner, this flag is approximately eight feet long, the first two feet is a solid blue square. In the center of the square is a brown fierce looking eagle. He is holding arrows in his claws. The rest of the flag is alternating long stripes of blue and red. On the east wall a large fireplace dominates the space. It has a fieldstone apron, wooden surround and wooden mantel. A deer with horns frames is centered above the mantel. To the right of the fireplace is a long portrait of an impressive man. It is approximately 4 feet tall, full color oil painting. We can see the man from his bare head to just about the bottom of his suitcoat. He has brown hair, piercing blue eyes that seem to follow you as you move through the room and long sideburns. He is wearing a blue suitcoat and has one hand tucked into it right about his chest level. He looks very serious in the painting, and the image conveys he is an important person at Fort Union. On each side of the painting are decorative objects, one side has a beaded American Indian made leather bag, the other are a collection of peace medals hanging on red stings. The south wall has the only window, which allows in some sunlight, illuminating the space. Next to the window is a large painting of a stout dog, he is reddish-brown colored dog, with a broad face, shoulders and is painted to appear very powerful. The west wall has a collection of wooden shipping boxes and crates. These have various stencils etches on their sides; candles, tomatoes, and one says J. Harvey Ft. Union. In the center of the room in a recreated scene two wooden chairs with straight backs and one large ornate chair with padded black cushions with a reclined back.
Ready to exchange goods? Learn about the hustle and bustle of trade that brought life to Fort Union Trading Post.
The Trade House has a rustic appearance. The whitewashed exterior has a peeling and flaking texture and is adorned with dry sun-bleached buffalo skulls. The sod roof is covered with tall grass that sways and blows in the wind. The large rectangular sandstone colored brick chimney stands tall in the center of the roof. The entrance to the Trade House is a large dark brown painted door with a rope handle. A large window next to the door provides ample lighting to the reception room. The room is dominated by a large fireplace with sandstone fire bricks that reach from the floor to ceiling. The fireplace is almost five feet wide with a three wide and three tall firebox. The mantle has turned black from the accumulated smoke over the years. The room smells faintly of a campfire. The large hearth holds pots, cooking equipment, and fire keeping equipment like pokers and long-handled spoons. To the left of the fireplace is a large pile of split wood and a portrait of a fancy-looking man wearing a black top hat, a swooping mustache, and a suit coat. Above him, a taxidermized white snow owl appears to be watching over the room. The wall to the right has a large taxidermy rams head with curling horns, a beaded bow and arrow case hang from a nail, and a long and narrow bench is available for sitting. The wall to the left has a weighing hook suspended from a roof truss with some beaver skins, and a window and doorway that leads a step down into the Trade Room. The Reception Room is a square room full of trade items hanging off the walls, piled on shelves, in wooden barrels and casks, and hanging from hooks on the ceiling. To the right, there are red squares of fabric pinned to the wall with brass tacks, each displaying a different type of silver or brass ornament, round ornate pins, brooches, and earrings. Sharp-looking knives with bright red wooden handles are piled on a shelf to the left of the jewelry. A twisted brown loop of dried tobacco leaves hangs from a hook above the knives. Below the red squares of fabric are tall wooden barrels, one of which reads "Ft. Union UMO Coffee" in cursive script. On the wall opposite you is a tall wooden bookshelf packed with metal items. The top shelf has tall silver-colored straight-sided pots with lids and thin metal handles. The shelf below has more pots lying on their sides to fit the cramped shelf space. The next shelf has an assortment of items, small rectangular mirrors, copper-colored arm bands, and a black small pot. Below that, more blades are on display. The left of the bookshelf is a square window flooding the space with light. Above the window are many necklaces of various beads in many colors, blue, red, green, pumpkin, and white. A bookshelf is to the left of the window, full of blankets in red and green. Clothes hang from a rack on the ceiling. A wooden cask is visible in front of the bookshelf. A wooden desk painted burgundy is in the center of the room, with an open book, writing implements including quill feather and inkpot on its surface.
A tall white washed irregular fieldstone brick tower, with red shingled rood with white picked fenced walk way encircling the roof. The bottom floor has three cannon ports on each side, the second floor has a single cannon port and three rifle slits per side.
Wood boards supported by flagstone rocks outline where the Dwelling range once stood. The range is divided into six room with three squares representing the adjoined fireplaces are centered where two rooms meet.
Wayside Panel at the base of a hill. Cement sidewalk winds up hill to the white washes walls and stone bastion with red roofed Fort site. Hill and surrounding grounds are mown grass. Area is heavily trees to the south and east of sign, Missouri River Bottoms begin just to the south of sign.
Tall white walls open with two large green gate doors. An ornate painting caps the gate, an image of a man in a tall top hat and a man xxx shaking hands.
Wayside Panel at the base of a hill. Cement sidewalk winds up hill to the white washes walls and stone bastion with red roofed Fort site. Hill and surrounding grounds are mown grass. Area is heavily trees to the south and east of sign, Missouri River Bottoms begin just to the south of sign.
Wayside exhibit is surrounds on three sides, two by wooden and whitewashed Fort walls, one by the rear of the Bourgeois House. The ghosted Kitchen, wooden rectangle supported by fieldstones show the historical outline of the building and grey columns support the red pitched roof, stands in front of you.
The rivers edge drops to a grassy plain populated with willow and other bushes. In the distance the blue Missouri flows under under the eroded river bank. Above the river's bank, farmland stretches to the striated bluff line that fills the horizon.
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.
Tour through history as you explore Fort Union Trading Post NHS. .
Watch the Fort Union Trading Post Orientation Film
Learn how Fort Union Trading Post became an epicenter for trade between the Assiniboine and other Northern Plains Tribes and Euro-American fur traders.
Visit Fort Union's Trade House
The Trade House was one of the most important buildings at Fort Union. It was in the Reception Room where Tribal leaders met with the American Fur Company Traders to discuss the terms of the trade and also where stories were told, and small feasts were held. Today it is open seasonally as a stage for third person living history interpretation.
Become a Jr. Ranger and Jr. Trader at Fort Union
Kids of all ages are invited to explore Fort Union Trading Post NHS through the Junior Ranger & Junior Trader programs! Pick up a free Junior Ranger booklet at the Bourgeois House Visitor Center. The program typically takes around 1 hour to complete.
Tours
Count: 2
Outpost on the Missouri Self-Guided Tour
Outpost on the Missouri Self-Guided Tour takes visitors through the reconstructed historic site. This roughly 1/3 mile tour utilizes a cement walkway, packed gravel, and prairie grass for travel paths and includes one elevation rise (hill) of approximately 20 feet.
Walking Tour Winter Season
Experience the unparalleled beauty of the Upper Missouri's winter season as you embark on a self-guided tour of our reconstructed buildings, Visitor Center, and Park Store. Discover the most significant building on-site, which housed the fort's "brain," and explore the reconstructed building that the renowned artist George Catlin used as his painting studio during his visit in 1832. Don't forget to bundle up to stay warm!
