Aiming for days gone by
Fort Stevenson sights in 1870
BY HUNTER L. ANDES
It isn’t every day that one can hear the echoing melody of button-box alongside a firing cannon. However, that is exactly what rang through the air at Fort Stevenson State Park’s annual Frontier Military Days.
Attendees were able to jump back in time and see what life was like between 1867 and 1883 for the men who were stationed at Fort Stevenson, Dakota Territory.
“Saturday was a really busy day this year,” Dick Messerly said. “We had somewhere between 800 to 1,000 people in attendance counting both Saturday and Sunday. All in all, we were pleased with the turnout.”
Marley Aldinger of Underwood was a first timer at this year’s Frontier Military Days. The first thing she tried out was washing clothes the old-fashioned way.
“It’s really amazing here,” Aldinger said. “I really like all the tents and especially the washing. I’ve even gotten a bracelet, rabbit’s foot and a raccoon’s skin.”
She said she wants to come back again next year.
Brief History
Fort Stevenson was originally located 17 miles east of Fort Berthold where the Douglas Creek met the Missouri River. It served as a military garrison from 1867 to 1883.
The historic site last saw the light of day in the 1950s; it now lies beneath Lake Sakakawea about two and a half miles southwest of the State Park’s guardhouse.
