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

Located immediately west of the main gate, this building served two functions. Its east end, the end nearest the gate, served as a reception room and store for Indians. The west end served as the work area for several artisans. The long axis of the building ran east-west and, according to Denig, was 21 by 50 feet. At the time Denig described it (1843), the blacksmith, gunsmith, and tinner were using it. Denig used the singular form "shop," perhaps indicating that the three shared one large room. If they had separate rooms, archeology might disclose the fact. The Indian reception room at the east end opened into the passageway formed by the double gates. Behind it, to the west was the "trade shop," or room where the trader located himself, dealing with the Indians in the reception room through a wicket. That this building might have stood directly against the palisade is indicated by Denig's remark, "there is also another window through the pickets to the outside of the fort, which is used in trading when the Indians are troublesome, or too numerous." No picture of the fort shows this opening.

Maximilian commented on the Indian reception room (1833), "only the chiefs and about thirty of the principal warriors were admitted, who sat down around the apartment which was alloted to such meetings." In his autobiography, Larpenteur recalled working as trader after the smallpox epidemic, "nothing serious occurred except some few shots fired at me through the wicket during the night liquor trade." He decided that these bullets were not an attempt at revenge but just the ordinary run of affairs.

In his 1835 diary, Larpenteur described the drying of "the lodges which covered the Indian house" and recovering them with earth. This was one of the few buildings in the fort that was covered with buffalo skins and earth. Kurz' (1852) sketches show a corner of this building with the grass on its roof at various lengths. From time to time, the reception room served other functions. In the summer of 1835, Larpenteur mentioned a supply of iron being removed from the room in order to store packs of robes in it.

Visitors to Fort Union mentioned this building in their accounts. T. Culbertson (1850) wrote, "A room. . . is built against the wall by the gate, in which they used to trade through a small hole about one foot square in the wall." Hoffman (1866) described it as "a large building at Fort Union for the purpose of entertaining the Indians. Dirt floor with big opening in center of the roof so they could have a fire."

Kurz, whose 1852 sketches shows a little of the detail of the construction of the walls of this building as well as its roof, wrote in his diary that the Indian facilities were actually in adequate. Denig was then planning a new Indian lodge. Kurz said that a group of men had set out to cut the timber for the new structure. It is not known if the lodge was actually built. If it was, its absence in later sketches of the fort suggests it was located outside the walls.

Very little discussion of the west end of the building has been uncovered despite the importance of these artisans' work. Other than Denig's description, the only substantial reference was an 1864 diary entry by Larpenteur, "Daubing the blacksmith shop." The Soldier sketch (1864) and Stuart (1866) both show the roof line of this building, but they disagree on the number and location of chimneys.