Alexander Culbertson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Major
Alexander Culbertson
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Culbertson in 1854
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| Born | May 16, 1809 Near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
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| Died | August 27, 1879 (aged 70) |
| Occupation | Fur trader |
| Years active | 1829–1879 |
| Known for | Founded Fort Benton, Montana; interpreter and special agent for the U.S. Government. |
| Spouse(s) | Natawista Iksina |
Alexander Culbertson (1809–1879) was an American fur trader. He is known for founding Fort Benton, Montana. He also played an important role in talks that led to the 1851 Fort Laramie treaty. Later, Culbertson and his wife, Natawista Iksina, helped convince the Blackfoot Confederacy to allow a railroad survey to pass safely through their lands.
Early Life and First Steps in Trade
Alexander Culbertson was born in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, in 1809. His family came from Scotland and Ireland. In 1826, he left home and went to Florida with his uncle, John Craighead Culbertson. His uncle was a sutler, which means he sold supplies to the army. In Florida, Alexander learned the basics of trading from his uncle.
In 1827, he traveled to St. Louis. There, he met people from the American Fur Company. This company was a very big business run by John Jacob Astor. Alexander and his uncle then went to the Minnesota frontier. They traded goods with Native American groups in that area.
Life in the West and Important Roles
In 1833, Culbertson returned to St. Louis. He signed a three-year contract with the American Fur Company. He started working as a clerk. His boss, Kenneth McKenzie, sent him to Fort McKenzie, Montana. This fort was in what is now Montana.
Just three weeks after arriving, he married a Piegan woman. In 1834, he became the manager, or "Bourgeois," of Fort McKenzie.
Culbertson moved to Fort Union in 1840. That year, he married Natawista Iksina. She was a young Kainah woman from the Blackfoot Confederacy. Her father, Two Suns, was a powerful Kainah leader. Alexander was about 30, and Natawista was about 15. They had five children together.
Culbertson became a top manager for the American Fur Company. He oversaw all the company's forts along the Yellowstone and Upper Missouri Rivers. He held this important job until 1847. He also set up several new trading posts. One of these was Fort Lewis, started in 1846. In 1847, Culbertson moved and rebuilt the fort. It was officially renamed Fort Benton, Montana in 1850.
In 1851, the government asked him to be a special helper. His job was to talk with the Plains Indians. He played a big part in making the Treaty of Fort Laramie. Later, in 1853, he and his wife, Natawista, convinced the Blackfoot Confederacy to let a railroad survey team pass safely. This survey was for the northern Pacific railroad.
Later Years
In 1858, Alexander Culbertson had made a lot of money. He, Natawista, and three of their children moved to Peoria, Illinois. They bought a large farm and a fancy house called Locust Grove. Their daughters went to private religious schools for their education. Alexander and Natawista also had a formal wedding in a Catholic ceremony in 1859.
Culbertson lost most of his money because of bad investments. In 1868, he moved back west. Sometime after 1870, his wife Natawista left him. She returned to live with her own people. Alexander Culbertson died in 1879. He passed away at the home of his son-in-law, George H. Roberts, in Orleans, Nebraska. George Roberts was married to Alexander's oldest daughter, Julia.
