Fort Union Fur Trade Symposium Proceedings

Includes both Symposia 1990 and 2000!
On several sunny and wonderfully pleasant days in mid-September, 1990, 150 fur trade history enthusiasts gathered at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers in North Dakota for the Fort Union Fur Trade Symposium. Sponsored jointly by the National Park Service, the Friends of Fort Union Trading Post, and the Theodore Roosevelt Nature and History Association, these conferees had assembled for a personalized look at upper Missouri fur trade history. Planners were gratified by such a turnout on the distant northern Plains, which seemed in their opinion a fitting tribute to the compelling history of Fort Union and the American Fur Company.Nearly two dozen preeminent scholars were invited to offer insights into the trade and traders of the upper Missouri country. Some presentations were made in the scholarly environment of lectern and microphone; others took place at field sites where the history being discussed actually occurred. A number of these special presentations are included in this Proceedings, serving in several instances as the very first written chronicle of these shadowy places.
The 2000 Fur Trade Symposium was Fort Union Trading Post's turn to throw the party again. We invited the best minds we knew to share their thoughts on a variety of subjects centered around the fur trade. We invited the best reenactors to beguile our symposium visitors back to an earlier time on the Upper Missouri. We also invited a thoughtful speaker to tell us about Lewis & Clark at the Confluence. This collection chronicles many of the presentations and lectures given by our guest presenters and speakers at the 2000 Fur Trade Symposium.