Fort Union (1)
Fort Union (1) (1829-1867) - Established in 1829 as an American Fur Company Post. Later bought by the Federal Government, abandoned and scrapped in 1867.
Fort Union (1) History
Fort Union remained a thriving trade center until smallpox swept through the local tribes. The epidemic went on to kill over 50 percent of Blackfoot Confederacy members. The first wave of the epidemic began in 1837 when the crew of the steamboat "St. Peter" brought the disease down river to Fort Union. Assiniboine and Blackfeet traders then took it back to their tribes and the lack of natural resistance caused it to spread rapidly. A second wave of the disease struck the Crow and Assiniboine in 1857. Expansion from the east increased pressure on the tribes, leading to several outbreaks of hostility. Despite the construction of U.S. Army Fort Buford down river from Fort Union, maintaining safety in the area became impractical. The coming of the Civil War shifted attention from the West and Fort Union fell into disuse. It was abandoned finally and scrapped in 1867. Its lumber was used to complete Fort Buford.
Current Status
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Location: Frazer, Montana, 500 feet east of the modern Montana border. Maps & Images Lat: 48.00333 Long: -104.04556 |
Sources:
- Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 75
Links:
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