Missouri & Yellowstone Rivers Confluence

Trip Start May 29, 2009

114

Trip End Oct 03, 2009

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Where I stayed

Prairie Acres RV Park

Flag of United States Williston, North Dakota
Tuesday, June 9, 2009

We left the motor home parked in Williston,and drove in the car to see several sites. The first was Fort Union, a fur trading post built by John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company in 1828. It was a large trading area between many tribes and white men. After a couple of bouts of smallpox and a Minnesota uprising, it was disbanded and two miles down river Fort Buford was established by the US Army. Fort Union has been partially recreated.

Fort Buford was the obvious next stop. They have recreated the enlisted men's barracks. One of the original officer's quarters is still standing. As we toured this building, we learned that we were standing in the room where Sitting Bull surrendered in 1881. It is on the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers.

Near Fort Buford is the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center. We got a good look at the confluence and realized that up to this point on the trip, we have basically been following the Missouri River. When we leave here tomorrow, we will head southwest into Montana and follow the Yellowstone River to Hardin. We feel like Lewis and Clark, but we travel in a much better style.

We are at the western edge of the central time zone, and far enough north that it is still light out at 9:30 PM.

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