The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-06-04
As TO FORT BENTON
Jeremiah Collins Writes an Interesting
Story of the Place
BUILT BY FUR TRADERS
Tho Oldest Permanent Establish
ment of the White Man
In What Is Now
Montana.

a pioneer Journalist of Montana, con-
tributes an interesting article 10 MOI
tana Illustrated on the early history
of Fort Benton, the Oldest town IN
the state, and for a quarter OF cen
tury the most prominent trading post
in the Northwest. Mr.. Collins WRITES
II were asked to point out Mon
tana's one particular historic SPOT L
xvould not hesitate 10 LEAD the inquirer
m the ruins Of old Fort Benton, unique
in its frontier record of nearly hair a
century. Here was the headquarters
of the American Fur company for 20
years. and afterward. as the town ana
then city of Fort Benton, the principal
settlement of the northern frontier.
head of navigation on the missouri
river and entreport and distributing
point for this new northwest. 1t is
the oldest permanent establishment
of the white man in what is now
Montana.
Fort Benton is the only one of the
"forts' of the fur traders established
on the Missouri river and It's trlbu-
taries that is more than memory to-
dav. Fort Union. Fort Mckenzie, Fort
kim Fort Brule. Fort Chardon. Fort
Lewis. Fort Hawley, and scores or
others, what of them? The actual To-
cation of some is in doubt, ana not
one of them has an existence save on
the old maps.
IN the establishment Of Fort Benton
may be instructive If not interesting.
The association known as the Amerl-
can Fur company had its inception IN
St. Louis and became an organization
March Z, 1909. Pierre Choteau, sr., was
at its head, and among those interest
ed was Capt William Clarke of the
Lewis and Clarke expedition. In 1873
the company. then under the progress
sive direction of Pierre Choteau, 1r.,
sent Kenneth Mckenzie with n trading
force into the upper Missouri country
and that year he founded Fort Union
al the mouth OF the Yellowstone river
CAPTURED BY BLACKFEET.
The following year Mckenzie sent a
party of four men up the river 10 spy
out the land" and report as TO the eX-
istence of game and the prospects OF
trade with the Indians. These iaen
proceeded up the Missouri as far as
the Marias, and up the latter TO Bad
ger creek. where they were captured
by a party OF Blackfeet. They spent
the winter in the Indian camp, return
ing in the spring, accompanied by
100 Blackfeet braves, to Fort Union.
A treaty of trade was readily ef-
fected with these. and Mckenzie at
once GlSDdlCUCu mp 49, n
large party and a stock of Indian
goods TO build a fort at the mouth
of the Marias river. A temporary es-
Establishment was erected that year.
Next spring Qs39 Colonel Mitchell
built Fort Brule in a river bottom a
few miles below the present Fort Zen
ton Alexander Culbertson succeeded
Mitchell in authority that year. and
before its close he had completed a
permanent picket stockade at !3rule.
which was occupied by the company
for IL years. In 1912 +. A. ChardOn.
who was then in charge of Fort Brule,
amused himself and men one day by
Strengthening 80 Indians within the
walls of the fort. The Blackfeet, in
consequence, moved off to the north
refusing TO trade, and assumed a hos
tile attitude. The little fort stood In
great danger and the affairs of the
company were in "A bad way wher
Culbertson again came to the front
He made peace with the Indians and
built a new post CFort Lewis at Pab
lois island, on the south side of tn,
river, six miles above the site of For
Benton. Like all the other posts, this
too. was a makeshift, designed to serv'
the immediate purpose. and not con
structed with any view of permanent
CIV. The next move was the final one
The strong central headquarters 10
the fur trade in that region must o
necessity be on the Missouri river. ]
was on the bosom of this stream tina
the rich furs and peltries of the trad
ers were "mackinawed" to market an
their supplies brought up by the NOR
arduous process of corbelling. IN
river was the only highway connectin
them with civilization. The next cor
sideration was accessibility; such
point as could be conveniently reache
from every quarter by the Blackfet
nation who occupied the country frol
the Saskatchewan to the Hellowston
Major Culbertson selected as such
spot in the Missouri river bottom whei
the city Of Fort Benton now stand
and in 1916 the work of building Il
first permanent trading post on the u
per Missouri was begun.
BUILDING THE FORT.
When Culbertson inaugurated tn
post in the heart of the Blackfeet cou1
try. removed hundreds Of miles eve
from other traders and thousands fro
civilization, he had little thought tn
in IL years n steamboat would poke
nose into the natural levee at tn
place, and a few years more would WI
ness the extinction of the vast her
that blackened the plains. Fort BE
ton was built on the idea of perm
nency Of the fur trade. The enclosil
walls were $50 feet square and CO
structed. as were the several buildin
within the same. of abodes. or su
dried bricks. The walls were massiN
constructed with the view TO protects
from possible assaults by the India
and 10 withstand the ravages of tin
The stores. dwellings warehouses ct
were in like manner constructed. The
were two towers. or Dastions. at dag
nal corners, suitably designed for
Tense. From the flagstaff Of the ma
bastion the starry banner fioated on ;
proper occasions. Besides the small
arms, a few pieces light artillery.
ways ready for use, gave confidence
the occupants Of being able TO wit
stand any assault the Indians mig
attempt. One of these howlitzers
still preserved as a relic of Fort Bent