There’s still a little work to do, but the Pierre-Fort Pierre Historic Preservation Commission held a ribbon cutting at the Fort Pierre Chouteau site today (Thurs.).
The Fort Pierre Chouteau housed an important fur trading operation in the 1830s and became the home to a contingent of US army soldiers during the 1850s.
Betsey DeLoache was the driving force behind restoration efforts at the Chouteau.
The PFPHPC had a replica of a corner-bastion of the fort built at the site to make the site a more visible tourist attraction. They will also be making the path to the site compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The site has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.
PFPHPC is currently working on restoring the numerous Lewis & Clark interpretive signs on both sides of the Missouri River at Pierre and Fort Pierre. Three signs on the Fort Pierre side of the river have been restored. They describe the Bad River Encounter (Lilly Park), Bad Humored Island (near Holiday Inn Express) and Black Buffalo’s camp site where Lewis & Clark spent time with the Teton Sioux (Oahe Campground).
