Fort Union Trading Post Historic Structures Report (Part II) Historical Data Section

Kenneth McKenzie not only installed a distillery in 1833, he erected a building for this important but short-lived operation. In 1834, he wrote, "You have heard of my new buildings & mill for grinding corn. . . ." A year later, after the manufacture of alcohol had been suspended, Larpenteur made reference to radishes growing in the distilling house yard. The life span of this structure or to what other uses it may have been put are not known. Larpenteur, in his autobiography, said that after the liquor manufacture had been exposed, the still house was destroyed.

Undoubtedly a great number of kilns existed at Fort Union over the years. Most of these were for the manufacture of charcoal, although Denig (1849) talked of burning a lime kiln if he could find a man who knew how. The locations of the kilns undoubtedly changed many times. Harris (1843) mentioned charcoal kilns on the southern side of the Missouri river.

Larpenteur's diary, 1835, described the process: Sept. 30, "Imployed four men chopping wood for the Coal Pit." Oct. 5, "Carters haulled thirty cords of wood to the Coal Pit." Oct. 6, "Coal Pit ready to be covered with earth." Oct. 7, "Coal pit ready to set fire." Oct. 8, "Blacksmith commenced setting fire to the Coal pit." Oct. 13, "Finish Coal wood."

There is no written evidence concerning this area. It does not appear in the 1866 photograph. But on the Bedticking sketch, date unknown, an area against the eastern part of the north wall has been fenced in. One gate is shown on the west side of this wall, which appears to have been 8 - 10 feet in height. Within the "yard" there is a small building. Archeological evidence may give an idea of possible structures in this area.

One of the more important men at the fort was the carpenter, who oversaw all construction. Although the location of his shop remains unknown, its existence was verified by I. I. Stevens (1853) who mentioned both the shop and the carpenter's dwelling. Larpenteur, in 1864, talked about cleaning up the carpenter's shop, and moving all the carpenter's tools "in to the antient [sic] Carpenter Shop."