Ft.
Union (first called Ft. Floyd) was constructed in 1828 under the aegis
of the St. Louis-based American Fur Company. Located near the confluence
of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, Ft. Union was the crown jewel
of the upper Missouri fur trade sites and attracted commerce from a number
of different regional tribes. Many famous visitors came to Ft. Union,
including artists such as George Catlin, Karl Bodmer, and John James Audibon.
The Ft. Union site also is near Lewis and Clark campsites in 1805 and
1806, as well as Ft. Buford, an American military outpost. Today the restored
Ft. Union stands as a tourist attraction that hosts programs in commemoration
of a bustling fur trade operation and important frontier outpost. Nearby
Ft. Buford also offers interpretive services of the military period on
the Great Plains and in 2003 a new museum, the Missouri-Yellowstone confluence
center, was opened to interpret the area’s importance as a one-time
bustling economic hub. All three sites are within a couple miles of each
other and provide the visitor with a unique look at a frontier now past.
Ft.
Union (first called Ft. Floyd) was constructed in 1828 under the aegis
of the St. Louis-based American Fur Company. Located near the confluence
of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, Ft. Union was the crown jewel
of the upper Missouri fur trade sites and attracted commerce from a number
of different regional tribes. Many famous visitors came to Ft. Union,
including artists such as George Catlin, Karl Bodmer, and John James Audibon.