Fort Kiowa

Fort Kiowa (1822-1825, 1831c-1843c) - A Bernard Pratte and Company fur trading post and Fort established in 1822 near Chamberlain, Lyman County, South Dakota. Abandoned in 1825 and rebuilt circa 1831 by the American Fur Company. as Fort Lookout (1) and later operated by its successors. Also Known as Fort Brazeau and Fort Brasseaux. Abandoned circa 1843. History A fur-trading post established in 1822 by the Bernard Pratte and Company, constructed Joseph Brazeau Jr. The post was built as a 140-foot-square palisaded complex of log buildings and a storehouse in the form of a right angle. A blockhouse was located at the south corner and a small wooden tower on the north corner. The whole fort was enclosed by tall cottonwood pickets. This post was the starting point for the 1823 "Ashley's Hundred" trading expedition which famously included Hugh Glass and a young Jim Bridger. After a devastating bear attack, Hugh Glass was left for dead by his partner John Fitzgerald and Jim Bridger. He was somehow able to bind his wounds and crawl more than 200 miles back to Fort Kiowa. The 2015 film "The Revenant" recounts the life of Hugh Glass and this particular event. The post was abandoned in 1825 but was rebuilt circa 1831 as Fort Lookout (?) by the American Fur Co. which evolved into Pierre Chouteau and Co. after 1839. Current Status The exact location of this fort is unknown but it is generally thought to be on the then west bank of the Missouri River at the mouth of the White River about 12 miles from Chamberlain. The site is probably now underwater (Fort Randall Lake) but there is no consensus about the exact location. The GPS coordinates given here are at the mouth of the White River. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Mouth of White River in Lyman County near Chamberlain, South Dakota. Maps & Images Lat: 43.69920 Long: -99.43493 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: ?' GPS Locations: 43.69920, -99.43493 Mouth of the White River See Also: American Fur Company Bernard Pratte and 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 730. Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 144. Links: North American Forts - Fort Kiowa Wikipedia - Fort Kiowa Real Stories behind The Revenant, part III: Fort Kiowa Visited: 17 Jul 2020 Area