Fort Kiowa

Fort Kiowa, originally named Fort Lookout, was a 19th-century American Fur Trading post located on the Missouri River near the present day communities of Chamberlain and Oacoma, South Dakota. Built in 1822 to serve the expanding Fur Trade in the American West, this square 140-by-140-foot (43 by 43 m), fort served as an important rest and trade stop for famed explorers such as Jim Bridger and Hugh Glass. In the early 1840s, as the American fur trade moved further west, Fort Kiowa was abandoned and remained that way before being flooded by the Missouri River in later years.

When Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, completed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 he opened a great deal of free land for American fur traders. Forts quickly sprung up along rivers and overland trails to act as parts of the nationally run factory system. The factory system was a nationally funded and operated system, in which Native Americans would meet at certain forts and exchange furs for finished goods. The American government had hoped that nationalizing the fur trade would prevent the debauchery caused by the trading of alcohol with the Natives. The Factory System eventually failed for many reasons. First, the men working the factories were ex-military men and not experienced fur traders. These men often mishandled the furs resulting in major profit shifts. Second, the government failed to stop all private traders who bribed Natives with alcohol. Eager to get access to liquor, the Natives would break treaties with the government to get it. Lastly, the factories were not permitted to give presents to Natives or assimilate into Native culture as many private fur traders could. Miscegeny, or intermarriage between two cultures, was a major uniting force between private fur traders and natives that strengthened their relationship.

With the demise of the factory system, private companies emerged and made large sums of money. Included in these were Manuel Lisa of the Missouri Fur Company and John Jacob Astor of the American Fur Company. These men were two of the richest men in America during this time. These private companies established forts that acted as rest stops for trappers. Among the most well regarded forts was Fort Kiowa, also known as Fort Lookout. Fort Kiowa was constructed in 1822 by Joseph Brazeau Jr. of the Berthold, Chouteau, and Pratte French Company. Brazeau fortified the ~20,000 square-foot fort with a blockhouse and watchtower to guard against Crow and Sioux attacks.

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