Bordeaux Trading Post facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bordeaux Trading Post
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Reconstruction, at Museum of the Fur Trade
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 Location in Nebraska
Location in the United States
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| Location | Three miles east of Chadron on U.S. 20 |
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| Nearest city | Chadron, Nebraska |
| Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
| Built | 1846 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000746 |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 1972 |
The Bordeaux Trading Post is a historic site near Chadron, Nebraska. A man named James Bordeaux built it in 1845-1846. Today, it has been carefully rebuilt exactly where it first stood. It now serves as the Museum of the Fur Trade.
In 1972, this site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important archeological site where we can still learn about the past.
Contents
History of the Bordeaux Trading Post
The trading post built by James Bordeaux is found on the museum grounds. It was rebuilt in 1956 on its original foundation. The storehouse was also reconstructed soon after.
Finding the Original Location
By the 1950s, the exact spot of the post was a large dip in the ground. It was near Bordeaux Creek. People who had seen the old ruins helped find the spot.
Hudson Mead, the first county surveyor, was one of them. Welcome Naylor, whose father was an early settler, also helped. Both had seen the post falling apart in the 1880s.
Even more amazing were the memories of Herbert and John Bissonette. Their father, Joseph Bissonette, was a fur trader too. He had a post less than a mile away. The brothers had visited Bordeaux's post many times when it was still open. Their descriptions of the inside, like shelves and windows, were very helpful. These details often matched what archeologists found.
Rebuilding the Post
During the digging, the old walls and support stumps were found. But the wood was too old to reuse. Early settlers had even taken stones from the chimney.
However, the original hearthstones of the fireplace are still there. The threshold stones at the entry are also the original ones. They were laid in 1837 and found in place in 1956.
The new walls are made of hand-cut native timber. They follow the exact lines of the old ones. All the new support posts match the original sizes. They are set into the original postholes.
This careful rebuilding is why the James Bordeaux Trading Post is on the National Register of Historic Places. This is a rare honor for a rebuilt structure.
The Start of the Trading Post
The trading post began in the fall of 1837. Frederick Laboue ordered it to be built. He was a trader for the American Fur Company. The Sioux people called him "Grey Eyes."
The company had just bought Fort Laramie, about 100 miles southwest. Laboue wanted to trade more buffalo robes. So, he set up smaller posts in valleys where Native Americans spent the winter.
Laboue chose Jim Bordeaux to manage the post. The Native Americans called him "The Bear." He was married to two Brule Sioux sisters. Their brother, Swift Bear, was a chief.
Bordeaux's Later Years
The army bought Fort Laramie from the fur company in 1849. This was during the California Gold Rush. That year, Bordeaux started his own business.
Enemy Crow Indians from Montana attacked his post. Friendly Sioux warriors, led by Red Leaf and Two Strikes, chased the Crow. They fought a battle 25 miles west at Crow Butte. The place was named after this fight.
Bordeaux became successful. He later ran a store and ranch near Fort Laramie. He also had a ranch in Wyoming. He worked as an interpreter at the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. His son, Louis, often managed the Bordeaux Creek post later on.
After the Civil War, conditions on the Northern Plains were difficult. Trading sometimes involved supplying goods to Native Americans. They were resisting government efforts to move them to reservations.
In 1872, Jim Bordeaux left his western businesses. He moved to Fort Randall on the Missouri River. There, he had contracts to supply the army with hay and firewood. He passed away in 1878 at age 64.
The Post After Bordeaux
After Bordeaux left, Francis Boucher took over the post. He was the son-in-law of Spotted Tail, a chief of the Brule Sioux. Boucher, known as "Bushy," traded supplies to warriors.
In August 1876, army soldiers found Boucher with a large amount of ammunition. They shut down his business. The next year, the last free Native Americans moved to reservations or went to Canada. By 1885, when the railroad arrived, the post on Bordeaux Creek was in ruins.
Historical Marker
An official state historical marker was placed on the museum grounds in 1967. It tells the story of the Bordeaux Trading Post. The Chadron Area Chamber of Commerce helped pay for it. Edgar Red Cloud, grandson of Chief Red Cloud, spoke at the event. He also sang the Sioux national anthem.
See also
Images for kids
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Reconstruction, at Museum of the Fur Trade
