A little history for you: Built in 1828 by the American Fur Company, this post provided a spot for many different Native American tribes to trade their furs for manufactured goods. Situated at the confluence of two rivers, the Yellowstone and the Missouri, this post became the longest lasting and the most famous in American history...
It felt SO GOOD to get out of the house and we could not have asked for a prettier day to do it. It was sunny, warm, and just a beautiful day...
We had gotten a newspaper the week before and in my boredom I actually flipped through it. On one of the pages was a schedule for the Fort Union Rendezvous. Fort Union is managed by the National Park Service, so I was intrigued (we love us some NPS!). One of the Rendezvous days was to be a kids day...perfect for us :)! I'm so glad it worked out for us to go.
Parking for the fort is in Montana...
...the fort itself is in North Dakota! Haha! Pretty neat :)...
If you visit the confluence area in the summer, take some bug spray! Oh my goodness!!! The second our car was stopped we were literally swarmed by a cloud of mosquitoes. The kids saw them through the windows and I thought it was a cloud of gnats. SO NOT GNATS! More mosquitoes than I have ever seen at one time in my life and I am from Florida, the land of swamps and biting insects. So anyway, I don't like using the stuff but I couldn't wait to get my hands on some after the swarm descended on my arms and legs (and face...it was BAD).
The walk up to the fort is short but pretty. It is so quiet out there! I loved it :)...
Just after we entered the gates, we were greeted by a gentleman in period dress. He invited us into the trade room, shared some hardtack with us...
...and stories of traders and trades made in that very spot so many years ago. That fireplace? Those hearthstones? Can you IMAGINE the people that have stood right there? Warmed their tired bodies, shared stories...Jim Bridger, John James Audubon, Indian Chiefs, Prince Maximilian, George Catlin...
After leaving the trade room, we headed into the center courtyard of the fort. The girls spotted a Park Ranger and wanted to go ask if they have Jr. Ranger books. It doesn't say online that they do, so we weren't expecting it, but they wanted to ask just in case. Well, it pays to ask...they DO have a Jr. Ranger program there! The kids were happy and we headed into the Bourgeois House to get the books...
We perused the museum, visited the blacksmith, the carpenters, the guy cooking meat over a fire, then we went into a room off the courtyard where a lady was telling about life at the fort. She had some really interesting things that she passed around for the kids to touch and examine...early toys, beaded clothing, etc...and she also told of the hard realities of living way out there so many years ago. Stories of harsh winters and unwashed masses cramming into small rooms to sleep and share body heat. Not the prettiest of pictures...
Next we went into the tipi...
It was a lot bigger on the inside than it looked!
There were buffalo hides spread on the ground for us to sit on during the Ranger presentation. We all found a comfy spot and listened/watched as he told us a story while also using Native American sign language.
The kids really enjoyed this! When it was done, we went into the bookstore and bought our own copy of the book that teaches this form of sign language. So fun :)! (The kids have been reading it and quizzing each other...if we go back to Rendezvous next year, maybe they can "chat" with the Ranger).
While we were in the bookstore, the kids turned in their Jr. Ranger books for review. This park, to honor their fur trading history, does the program a little differently than we have seen before. The kids were each awarded their badges and certificate...AND they were each given a little felt "buffalo fur". They were given the option of keeping their fur or trading it for a manufactured good. How fun is that??? The girls went for the beads, one boy got an AMFCo pennant, and one boy kept his fur...
With treasures in hand, we headed out the other side of the fort to check out the things that various folks had brought for sale. There were beaded items, leather items, carvings, bones, all that kind of stuff. We walked around, bought a few small things, and enjoyed the views...
Back inside the fort, we noticed a craft was going on over to one side. Some ladies were teaching the kids how to made corn husk dolls! How cute :)...
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| he made that for me <3 |
By this time, it was getting late in the afternoon and we were hungry. Time to head back to Williston for a late lunch/early dinner followed by our most (UN)favorite activity of all time. Can you guess what it is?...
Haha! Yep, laundrymat time. Woohoo!
The fun never ends, ya'll ;)...
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