Fort Union Trading Post was the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri from 1828 to 1867. At this post, the Assiniboine, Crow, Cree, Ojibway, Blackfeet, Hidatsa, and other tribes traded buffalo robes and other furs for trade goods such as beads, guns, blankets, knives, cookware, and cloth.
Fort Union Trading Post was established in 1828 by the American Fur Campany. It was not a government or military post, but a business, established for the specific purpose of doing business with the northern plains tribes. This trade business continued until 1867 making it the longest lasting American fur trading post. [Click to read more]
History of the Knife River Indian Villages
The history of land and vegetation use in the vicinity of Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site begins with the Native American occupation. This occurred about 10,000 years ago when big game hunting and berry/nut gathering people traversed the area.
For nearly a millennium this area was a trading hub established by the earthlodged Hidatsa and Mandan tribes with the primary commodity being Knife River flint. In addition, it is important as a place where Indian culture and agriculture developed.
It should be noted that there were more people living along the Knife and Missouri Rivers in the 18th and early 19th Century than [Click to read more]
