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

In the beginning, the horse herd had to come into the fort each night, there being no corral elsewhere. When Maximilian returned to the fort in the fall of 1833, he noted that McKenzie had "lately had a separate place, or park, provided for them." This was a step forward for those living at the fort, for now the horses' manure would not add to the mud and smells of the post. We do not know the where abouts of this corral.

After Maximilian left Fort Union, McKenzie acquired the property of his competitor, Fort William. He had Fort William's palisades moved up to Union and had them erected on the prairie, east of the fort. Denig described this new structure as an enclosure that was about 150 feet square, and said it was about 200 feet to the east of the fort. At the time he wrote (1843), Denig said the enclosure was being used for storing hay "and other purposes." Yet, the enclosure seems also to have been used as a corral. In his 1835 diary, Larpenteur wrote that "four or five indians got over the Pickets of the old fort mounted two of the best horses opened the [door?] with the intention of taking the whole band." It might be noted that this enclosure was commonly called "the old fort" by the employees. The fences of this enclosure appear in three sketches: Bodmer (1833)--Bodmer's sketch probably is the new "park" mentioned by Maximilian before McKenzie acquired Fort William; Sprague (1843)--both his preliminary sketch and oil; and Father Point (1847)--the only one to show the gate, which was on the west side.