The Barn


The Fort's Barn

The only building completely inside the walls of the Fort was the barn.  Constructed of logs, it housed most the livestock and included a corral.  The harness room contained pack saddles, ox yokes, and two and four horse harnesses with extra collars and hames. Most of the time the livestock grazed outside the Fort protected by herders; the journals show that there was always difficulty in keeping track of the animals and that the Indians continually got away with the horses.  The livestock inventory in 1850 contained 8 horses, 5 mules, 3 bulls, 2 oxen, 3 cows, 4 calves, 12 hogs, 7 pigs and 1 cat; with a total value of $699.00.

Most were draft animals and were trained for the harness.  Wagon and carts were continually going and coming with loads of firewood, logs, shingles, trade goods, coal, robes and furs.  Hay came from the Teton River area, logs from the Highwood Mountains and fresh meat from the prairie above the Missouri River Valley.

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