3/31/2009:
Extreme temperatures, isolation, and utter boredom broken only by the terrifying reality of Indian raids. As if that weren't enough for the soldiers living at Fort Buford, they also had to contend with buildings literally crumbing to pieces around them as they worked, ate and slept.
Located near the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, Fort Buford was built in a rush. Facing harassment by Indian raids and a short construction season, buildings were hastily thrown up in 1866 and again the following year when the fort was expanded. Unfortunately, the building materials selected were a poor choice. The buildings constructed of cottonwood logs certainly had their problems, but nothing like what the men were forced to endure in structures composed of adobe brick.
From the army's standpoint, adobe buildings seemed a logical choice. They had proven very successful in other military posts around the country, but it quickly became apparent that wasn't the case for the plains of Dakota Territory. Within two years, the faulty construction practices and materials were painfully evident. In late March of 1869, the adobe wall of a barracks collapsed, forcing the men to find temporary shelter in tents.
Stirred by the incident, on this date in 1869 post surgeon James P. Kimball began an inspection of the fort. He noted several of the adobe buildings were cracked and in need of repair if not outright replacement. Even the oven had crumbled to pieces.
But the men of Fort Buford couldn't seem to catch a break. After working through the month of September to manufacture new adobe bricks, an usually severe rainstorm carrying over an inch of rain destroyed all their work. Even the newly constructed adobe brick oven fared poorly. Within months it had cracked in several places and partially fallen in. Just when it seemed living conditions couldn't get any worse, the roofs of the adobe blacksmith shop and schoolhouse collapsed. And the hospital walls began to bulge outwards. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the problem was clear and immediate.
Another expansion project started in 1871 did improve conditions, but it took over a decade before all of the older buildings were replaced with weather-sturdy frame buildings.
Written by Christina Sunwall
Sources:
Innis, Ben. Sagas of the Smoky-Water: True Stories Reflecting Historical Aspects of the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Region, 1805-1910. Williston, ND: Centennial Press, 1985.
Snortland, J. Signe, ed. A Traveler's Companion to North Dakota State Historic Sites. Bismarck, ND: State Historical Society of North Dakota, 2002.