Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (32WI17), Material Culture Reports, Part VII: Building Hardware, Construction Materials, Tools, and Fasteners

Between 1968 and 1972, four seasons of archeological investigations
were conducted at the Fort Union Trading Post National
Historic Site, North Dakota. The fort served as the major outpost
of the American Fur Company on the Upper Missouri River
between 1829 and 1865. Between 1865 and 1867, the U. S. Army
utilized the fort facilities as a base of operations against the
Northern Plains Indians. The excavations were conducted at the
fort in order to obtain structural information concerning the
fort. These investigations recovered several varieties of artifacts,
including building hardware, construction materials, building
tools, and fastening devices. Planned reconstruction of the
fort, starting in 1986, necessitated the analysis of the building
hardware and construction materials which is the focus of the
present report. During the analysis of the materials related to
the construction activities at the fort, several items were noted
to have been factory manufactured while others appeared to have
been locally made by the fort's blacksmith. Comparison of American
Fur Company records gave an indication of which materials
were shipped to the fort and which items may have been produced
at the fort.