Crew completes Old Fort’s archeological excavation

September 7, 2022

Friday, Sept. 2 brought the conclusion of the archeological digs at the site of the Old Fort, unearthing more relics from 19th-century Fort Benton.

The project has been in the works for many years as the Fort Benton Restoration Committee led efforts to rebuild the Old Fort in multiple phases. Before each construction project, they excavated the area and researched any artifacts found in an effort to make the reconstructed fort as historically accurate as possible.

In 2020, a team of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) archaeologists and community volunteers excavated the fort’s kitchen area. This summer, they returned to excavate the Engagé’s Quarters - the living quarters of the married fur trappers and their families.

They worked for a week in June, but realized they needed more time and planned a second dig last week to finish the project, working Sept. 1 and 2.

The excavation group dug 30-60 centimeters down and discovered a hoard of goodies. A women’s comb, broken smoking pipe bowls, beads, rifle flints, a door latch, a human tooth with an abscess, a decomposed boot and heel, and finally - the most exciting - the original adobe flooring.

“It’s like layers of cake. The deeper you dig, the older the stuff you find,” said Josh Chase, a BLM archaeologist in charge of the excavation.

The artifacts found will be cleaned and analyzed at the BLM office in Havre, then sent back to the Old Fort for display.

Founding members of the Fort Benton Restoration Committee, Larry Cook, Sharalee Smith and Dave Parchen, all helped at last week’s dig, sifting through hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of dirt and clay. Members from the BLM, Montana Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and others also assisted.

The volunteers took a moment to sigh in relief and reflect on the work they had completed as they cleaned their dig site for the last time on Friday.

“(It’s a) hands-on physical link to the past...Someone might have lost it and now I’m holding it,” said Loreena Genther, also a BLM archaeologist.

With excavations finally finished, the restoration committee can continue with their next phase of building plans. Blueprints, sketches, paperwork with contractors, and even the number of the building bricks needed are all completed and ready; the struggle is finding the funds to move forward with the project.

Cook predicts the cost to build the kitchen and engages’ quarters could lead up to a million dollars. They are exploring grants and fundraising opportunities to make the last phase of fort reconstruction a reality.
“I want to get it done. I want to see it finished before I die,” Cook said. “If I can say, on my deathbed, that it’s done - it would give me great joy.”