Fort La Barge

Fort La Barge (1862-1863) - A fortified fur trading post established in 1862 during the U.S. Civil War by Joseph La Barge and James Harkness of the La Barge, Harkness & Company of St. Louis in the present-day town of Fort Benton Chouteau County, Montana. Abandoned in 1863 and sold to the American Fur Company. Also spelled Fort LaBarge. Fort La Barge Marker (front) Fort La Barge Marker (rear) Fort La Barge History Joseph La Barge and his partner James Harkness arrived at Fort Benton (1) on 17 Jun 1862 aboard their "Emilie", the first side-wheeler steamboat to reach Fort Benton. La Barge and Harkness established Fort La Barge as a 300' by 200' fortified trading post on the bank of the Missouri River. La Barge's wife drove the first stake and his daughter the second stake outlining the fort. The post was laid out in a "U" shape with the open end facing the river. The post was abandoned in 1863 because of difficulties with the Blackfeet Indians and was sold to the American Fur Company at nearby Fort Benton (1). Current Status A two-sided marker is located in the park at 10th and River Streets in the town of Fort Benton, Chouteau County, Montana. The actual site may be further south of the marker location. Location: Marker located in the park at 10th and River Streets in the town of Fort Benton, Chouteau County, Montana. Maps & Images Lat: 47.8120548 Long: -110.671286 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 2,628' GPS Locations: 47.8120548, -110.671286 Fort La Barge Marker 47.8055252, -110.6813255 GNIS Fort La Barge 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 472-473. Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2,page 72. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1750083 Links: North American Forts - Fort La Barge Fortification ID: MT0111 - Fort La Barge MT0045 - Fort LaBarge Visited: 26 Sep 2013