Euro-American style Bone Die (FOUS 32523)
Euro-American playing dice discovered at Fort Union during the excavation of the “Indians and Artisans House.” This die was machine-cut from a very large mammal bone.
Five Lead Musket Balls (FOUS 2704)
Five lead, .50 caliber musket balls for a muzzle-loading gun. Like FOUS 181, 1023, and 1450, these balls were probably used in a musket such as the Northwest Trade gun. Inventories, letters, and orders indicate... More
Indian Grass Dancer - National Parks Gallery
New Town Eagle Feather Dancers Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Plains Side-Notched Projectile Point (FOUS 99186)
This side-notched Plains projectile point may have been made sometime between 1,500 BP and 200 BP. If made by an experienced flint-knapper, the point could have been made in as little as twenty minutes!
National parks: 7 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain photograph group portrait, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
National parks: 2 - public domain image
Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Construction of Hunter’s Shack - Public Domain image, National Parks G...
Fort Union Muzzle Loaders members built both the carpenter and hunter’s shack in the courtyard at Fort Union.
National parks: 3 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain image of a construction site, wooden frame, timber, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
National parks: 7 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain photograph group portrait, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
National parks: 3 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain image of a construction site, wooden frame, timber, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
Serpent Sideplate (FOUS 1413) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Many different muskets were available during the time of the fur trade, but the Northwest Trade gun was by far the most popular among the various American Indian tribes that traded at Fort Union. Serpent sidepl... More
Ice Saw (FOUS 735) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
When cutting ice from the frozen Missouri River, the men may have used an ice saw (FOUS 735) similar to the one shown here. This ice saw can also be seen on display in the Fort Union Trading Post NHS museum exh... More
National parks: 7 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain photograph group portrait, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
Cultural talks, National Parks gallery
Cultural talks Public domain photograph related to US National Parks, Nature, conservation, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Fort Union Association - National Parks Gallery
Incorporated in 1993, at which time it assumed responsibility for the visitor center bookstore, the Fort Union Association (FUA) has supported the historic site's educational and interpretive programs. Pictured... More
Single bit American axe head (FOUS 85646)
A single bit American axe head (FOUS 85646).
Historical architect Richard Cronenberger and Fort Union maintenance c...
Historical architect Richard Cronenberger and Fort Union maintenance chief Orville Loomer, 1988.
Oxbow Projectile Point (FOUS 49993)
Knife River flint, quarried in North Dakota has been found across North America. Why? Because skilled arrowhead-makers could predict how the flint would fracture when struck or knapped. This Knife River flint o... More
National parks: 4 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of a post office building, postal service, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Iron Ball (FOUS 151) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
This 3.2 oz. iron ball, a 1.3 caliber grapeshot, was possibly used in a swivel gun. The smallest type of cannon, a swivel gun could be mounted on a keelboat’s bow, or forward end, which in combination with the ... More
Lead Ball (FOUS 1023) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
This .60 caliber lead ball was probably used in a muzzle-loading gun. Muzzle-loading guns like smoothbore muskets are loaded by pouring and ramming a measure of powder and a ball down a gun’s barrel. How did a ... More
China Gorget (FOUS 68012) - Public domain photogrpaph
This bone china gorget (FOUS 68012) is so rare that it surprises even experts of frontier history and its existence is a bit of a mystery. A gorget is an ornamental part of a military uniform worn from a chain ... More
Bone Flattener (FOUS 434) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galler...
Before the introduction of beads, American Indian women decorated their clothing and household items with dyed porcupine quills. The art of quill embroidery is only found in North America. This small bone quill... More
National parks: 1 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Copper Kettle (FOUS 98273) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galle...
Repurposing metal objects into new and useful items was a common practice among the different Northern Plains tribes that traded at Fort Union. This metal kettle bottom appears to have a section of it cut out a... More
Train station Trade House Under Construction - Public domain photograp...
The Trade House under construction in 1991. Public domain photograph of train car, engine, locomotive, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Glass Bead (FOUS 35507) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
White, cylindrical shaped, undecorated, hand-drawn glass bead with chopped ends. According to Lester A. Ross, author of Trade Beads from Archeological Excavations at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Si... More
National parks: 1 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Trade House Reconstruction - National Parks Gallery
Building the Trade House roof in 1991. Public domain photograph of a post office building, postal service, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Half a Domino (FOUS 24642) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galle...
Pictured here is one half of a domino found during excavations between 1968 and 1972. According to the report Homer Thiel wrote, the domino broke while it was being made at Fort Union. The second half, which wa... More
Mark Bluestone of the New Town Eagle Feather Dancers
Mark Bluestone of the New Town Eagle Feather Dancers
Glass Beads (FOUS 38667) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
White on gray polychrome (2-layered), cylindrical, hot-tumbled drawn glass beads with inlaid stripes. According to Lester A. Ross, author of Trade Beads from Archeological Excavations at Fort Union Trading Post... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 16794) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
This triangular-shaped point with a plain tang is made of brass. Along with a source of metal, American Indians would need only a few Euro-American tools – a file, cold chisel, and a hacksaw, for instance – to ... More
Iron Ball (FOUS 151) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
This 3.2 oz. iron ball, a 1.3 caliber grapeshot, was possibly used in a swivel gun. The smallest type of cannon, a swivel gun could be mounted on a keelboat’s bow, or forward end, which in combination with the ... More
National parks: 1 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Glass Beads (FOUS 36315) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
Purplish-red, cylindrical, undecorated, hand-drawn glass bead. According to Lester A. Ross, author of Trade Beads from Archeological Excavations at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, “these beads a... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 16785) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Iron projectile points such as this one could have been forged on site by the Fort Union’s blacksmith. What metal might the blacksmith have used? The hoops around barrels containing trade goods shipped upriver ... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 16795) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Although Knife River flint and other stone arrowheads could be sharper than metal points, they could break on impact. If damaged during use, metal points like this one made of brass, could be reworked and sharpened.
Buffalo Robe Coat (FOUS 890) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gal...
During the fur trade, on average about 25,000 buffalo robes were sent down river each year to the major commercial centers. The robes were then used as blankets, padding in carriages and made into buffalo coats... More
Ice Glider (FOUS 32502) North Dakota
Although Kurz wrote only about boredom and work, winter snows and ice also offered opportunities for recreation and entertainment. Native and Metis women and “children of both sexes,” the archeologist J. Homer ... More
Tyler Medicine Horse - National Parks Gallery
Tyler Medicine Horse Public domain photograph of primitivism, folk art, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Bone Flattener (FOUS 435) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galler...
After beads became available, women began to embroider garments, household items and items for warfare with beads instead of dyed porcupine quills. However, beads and quills were sometimes used in tandem on one... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 85649) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Projectile points were crafted for two uses, hunting and warfare. This particular point resembles a point made for warfare. What is the difference? This point has a rear-pointing triangular end; these barbs wou... More
Two Lead Balls (FOUS 181) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galler...
Two .54 caliber lead balls. These balls were probably used in a musket such as the Northwest Trade gun. During the time of the fur trade, these smoothbore trade guns were among the most common firearms that Ame... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 84275) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Besides being made on site by the fort’s blacksmiths, many metal projectile points like this iron one could have been massed produced in a factory and then shipped to the different trading posts.
Hand-wrough rectangular axe head (FOUS 508)
Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Fur Press Construction - National Parks Gallery
Members of the Fort Union Muzzle Loaders build a historic fur press during living history weekend in September 1998.
Copper Point (FOUS 98266) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galler...
This copper projectile point was found during Fort Union’s 1988 archeological excavations. Notice anything unusual? The green coloring you see is not a decorative element but rather copper carbonate, the presen... More
Fort Union's 1989 Grand Dedication celebration.
Fort Union's 1989 Grand Dedication celebration. In the right foreground, the Trade House has yet to be built.
Glass Bead (FOUS 39311) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
Very light yellowish-brown, lampworked drawn glass bead. According to Lester A. Ross, author of Trade Beads from Archeological Excavations at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, "beads of this class... More
Metal Awl (FOUS 292) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
Metal offset awls like this one were commonly used when working hides. What was it used for? To punch holes into thick leather so it could be sewn together with animal tendon, called sinew that was taken from t... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 16785) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Iron projectile points such as this one could have been forged on site by the Fort Union’s blacksmith. What metal might the blacksmith have used? The hoops around barrels containing trade goods shipped upriver ... More
National parks: 2 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Lead Ball (FOUS 1023) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
This .60 caliber lead ball was probably used in a muzzle-loading gun. Muzzle-loading guns like smoothbore muskets are loaded by pouring and ramming a measure of powder and a ball down a gun’s barrel. How did a ... More
Copper Kettle (FOUS 98273) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galle...
Repurposing metal objects into new and useful items was a common practice among the different Northern Plains tribes that traded at Fort Union. This metal kettle bottom appears to have a section of it cut out a... More
Brass Point (FOUS 16795) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
Although Knife River flint and other stone arrowheads could be sharper than metal points, they could break on impact. If damaged during use, metal points like this one made of brass, could be reworked and sharpened.
Bone Die (FOUS 32540) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
A bone dice made and used largely by Blackfoot women, who carved the dice from the fragments of rib bones. As with Euro-American dice, these were held in the hand and thrown. Unlike Euro-American dice, however,... More
Metal Ball (FOUS 575) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
This 3.2 oz. molded metal ball is another example of grapeshot unearthed during the Fort Union excavations. As with FOUS 151, it may have been made for use in a swivel gun. Such guns might have been mounted on ... More
New Town Eagle Feather Dancers - Public Domain image, National Parks G...
New Town Eagle Feather Dancers Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
National parks: 5 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain image of a construction site, wooden frame, timber, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
National parks: 6 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Inter-tribal dancing - National Parks Gallery
Inter-tribal dancing Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
National parks: 4 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Bourgeois House Excavation - National Parks Gallery
The Bourgeois House excavations in 1986.
National parks: 5 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain image of a construction site, wooden frame, timber, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
Besant Projectile Point (FOUS 3909)
Before Europeans arrived in the Americas, Swan River Chert, was one type of lithic material that American Indian peoples knapped into projectile points. Found in glacial till, the small rocks left behind when g... More
French-style iron trade axe (FOUS 737)
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Two Lead Balls (FOUS 181) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galler...
Two .54 caliber lead balls. These balls were probably used in a musket such as the Northwest Trade gun. During the time of the fur trade, these smoothbore trade guns were among the most common firearms that Ame... More
National parks: 6 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Projectile Point (FOUS 16785) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Iron projectile points such as this one could have been forged on site by the Fort Union’s blacksmith. What metal might the blacksmith have used? The hoops around barrels containing trade goods shipped upriver ... More
New Town Eagle Feather Dancers and Tatanka Oyate Singers
New Town Eagle Feather Dancers and Tatanka Oyate Singers
Buffalo Hide Tipi - National Parks Gallery
Buffalo Hide Tipi Public domain photograph by National Parks Administration, nature conservation, tourism, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Indian Arts Special Presenter Mary Louise Defender Wilson
Mary Louise Defender Wilson Public domain photograph related to US National Parks, Nature, conservation, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Western Meadowlark (FOUS 57400)
Because it had been neglected since Lewis and Clark’s mention in 1805, Audubon named the bird Sturnella neglecta, or Missouri Meadow-Lark. Although Audubon’s Latin name remains the bird’s official scientific no... More
National parks: 5 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain image of a construction site, wooden frame, timber, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
Three Lead Musket Balls (FOUS 2701)
Three lead musket balls of different calibers: .32, .38,and .41. How does one know which is which? Caliber refers to both the diameter of the ball and a gun’s barrel. The larger the ball, the larger its caliber... More
Palisade Wall Under Construction
The southeast section of the palisade wall under construction in 1989.
Photo of Scissor Fragment (FOUS 8650) - Public domain dedication
Access to metal scissors saved time while cutting and sewing together fabric to make clothing. How so? Before metal scissors, people would use knifes made of sharpened rock such as Knife River Flint. Locating t... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 1002) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gal...
Metal projectile points like this one, that archeologists unearthed at Fort Union, were introduced to American Indians during the fur trade. It’s triangular shape and rectangular stem, called a tang, are simila... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 16794) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
This triangular-shaped point with a plain tang is made of brass. Along with a source of metal, American Indians would need only a few Euro-American tools – a file, cold chisel, and a hacksaw, for instance – to ... More
Construction of Small Boat - Public Domain image, National Parks Galle...
Construction of small boat that would have been used during the fur trade era.
Three lead musket balls (FOUS 2701)
Three lead musket balls of different calibers: .32, .38,and .41. How does one know which is which? Caliber refers to both the diameter of the ball and a gun’s barrel. The larger the ball, the larger its caliber... More
Iron Ball (FOUS 151) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
This 3.2 oz. iron ball, a 1.3 caliber grapeshot, was possibly used in a swivel gun. The smallest type of cannon, a swivel gun could be mounted on a keelboat’s bow, or forward end, which in combination with the ... More
Iron Ball (FOUS 1024) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
This 1.0 caliber iron ball is another example of grapeshot unearthed during the Fort Union excavations. This ball may have been manufactured for a large muzzle-loading gun.
Glass Bead (FOUS 83629) - Public Domain image, National Parks Gallery
A lamp-wound shaped glass bead. According to Lester A. Ross, author of Trade Beads from Archeological Excavations at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, “lamp-wound beads were manufacture by wrappin... More
Fur Pres Construction - National Parks Gallery
Living history weekend fur press construction.
Flint and Fire Steel (FOUS 844 and FOUS 840)
Flint and a fire steel from Fort Union Trading Post's museum collections (FOUS 844 and FOUS 840, respectively). To start a fire, one strikes the flint and fire steel together to create a spark above tinder fung... More
Indian Arts Special Presenter Nathan Chasing Horse
Nathan Chasing Horse - headline speaker Public domain photograph related to US National Parks, Nature, conservation, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Half a Domino (FOUS 24642) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galle...
One half of a bone domino found during excavations between 1968 and 1972. According to the report Homer Thiel wrote, the domino broke while it was being made at Fort Union. The second half, which was also recov... More
Projectile Point (FOUS 84275) - Public Domain image, National Parks Ga...
Besides being made on site by the fort’s blacksmiths, many metal projectile points like this iron one could have been massed produced in a factory and then shipped to the different trading posts.
Twenty-sid Lead Balls (FOUS 1450)
Twenty-six .50 caliber lead ball reproductions. During the fur trade, lead balls like these would have been used in smoothbore muskets such as the Northwest trade gun. The Northwest trade gun was specifically m... More
Bench Construction, National Parks gallery
Fort Union Muzzle Loaders build historic benches at Fort Union. Public domain photograph of a post office building, postal service, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Construction of Hunter's Shack - Public Domain image, National Parks G...
Construction of hunter's shack under the palisade wall. Public domain photograph of a post office building, postal service, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
National parks: 3 - public domain image
Picryl description: Public domain image of a construction site, wooden frame, timber, free to use, no copyright restrictions.
National parks: 1 - public domain image
Public domain photograph of American trade card, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Traditional Native American Artisan
Traditional Native American Artisan Public domain photograph of native Americans, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description
Twenty-Six Lead Balls (FOUS 1450)
Twenty-six .50 caliber lead ball reproductions. During the fur trade, lead balls like these would have been used in smoothbore muskets such as the Northwest trade gun. The Northwest trade gun was specifically m... More
Lord Astor's August 1989 visit to Fort Union Archeological Excavations...
Lord Astor's august 1989 visit to the Fort Union archeological excavations. From the left, NPS historian Mary "Marcy"Culpin, Priscilla Baker, Lord Astor, and Bill Hunt, the NPS's lead archeologist affectionatel... More
Side-Notched Projectile Point (FOUS 71265)
Porcellanite is a hard, dense rock that resembles unglazed porcelain. Found during Fort Union’s archeological excavations, this side-notched projectile point may have been made, or knapped, between 1,500 BP and 200 BP.
Metal Scissor (FOUS 8664) - Public Domain image, National Parks Galler...
Metal scissors were a popular trade item at Fort Union. Just like today, tailors used them to cut fabric and thread. But it wasn’t only a tailor who used them at Fort Union. American Indian and Métis women woul... More