Fort McKenzie

Fort McKenzie (1833-1844) - Established in 1833 by David Dawson Mitchell for Kenneth McKenzie of the American Fur Company. Built as a replacement for the destroyed Fort Piegan (1) six miles downstream. Named after Kenneth McKenzie. Abandoned and burned down in 1844. Also known as Fort Piegan (2), Blackfoot Post and Fort Brule (1), ("burned fort"). History Built as a stockaded 1,420' square fur trading post with two blockhouses at opposing corners armed with several cannons. The post was located along the Missouri River about six miles upstream from the confluence with the Marias River. The trading post operated until the spring of 1844 when another trader, François Chardon, and his men massacred a number of Blackfeet Indians. This massacre and the resulting threat of retributions forced the post to be abandoned. François Chardon and his men burned abandoned Fort McKenzie and established a post of their own, (Fort Chardon), at the mouth of the Judith River. The burnt fort was thereafter referred to as Fort Brule, ("burned fort"). Current Status The exact site is unknown and sources differ about the location. The map point shown here is from the GNIS dataset. Location: Chouteau County, Montana. Map point may not be accurate. Maps & Images Lat: 47.878861 Long: -110.50271 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 2,569' GPS Locations: 47.878861, -110.50271 Fort McKenzie See Also: Fort Piegan (1) Fort Chardon American Fur Company Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 473 USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1750087 Links: North American Forts - Fort McKenzie Mountain Men and Life in the Rocky - Fort McKenzie Fortification ID: MT0134 - Fort McKenzie MT0158 - Fort Piegan (2) MT0013 - Blackfoot Post MT0019 - Fort Brule (1) Visited: Area 15 Aug 2016