Fort Assinniboine association facing labor shortage

The head of Fort Assinniboine Historic Preservation Association said the association is facing an ongoing staffing issue that's preventing it from doing many things it would like to in preserving the area's military history.

Association Board Chair Ron VandenBoom said their bylaws stipulate that they need nine members and they only have eight at the moment, and those eight who are there are getting on in years and are increasingly unable to physically contribute to the fort.

"We're all getting old," VandenBoom said.

He said while money is always a matter of discussion when it comes to operating the fort, at this point the bigger issue is a lack of able bodies and there are a lot of things they'd like to be doing at the fort that they just can't.

He said they've been looking to clear out one of the apartments that had some non-original additions made to it, and without people to do that they would need a contractor.

VandenBoom said one thing they are thinking about to potentially address this labor shortage is to set up a foundation like the one the H. Earl Clack Memorial Museum has, with members that may be able to lend their skills and time to the fort.

He said the lack of people to help at the fort also affects their ability to make money, as fundraisers require time and labor that many board members are finding harder and harder to provide.

"Funds are very valuable to us, we have a limited amount of income that comes from tourism primarily and the few fundraisers we're capable of doing," he said.

He said the fort has a healthy base of donors and he's grateful for all of them, especially those who can provide time and labor, but they are still in need of help.

VandenBoom said the board basically controls all aspects of military historic preservation at the fort and they are interested in talking to anyone with an interest in local history and who wants to contribute to the fort's preservation.

"We pretty much run everything that's connected with the history of the fort," he said.

A long, rich history

Fort Assinniboine was once one of the largest forts in the United States, with more than 100 buildings - more than a dozen still are standing - a 700,000-acre military reserve and the capacity to house more than 1,000 soldiers, with an average of 600 troops stationed there during its career.

The fort was authorized in 1878, with construction starting in 1879.

It came at the tail end of the Indian wars, with driving factors in its construction the defeat of Gen. George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876 and the Battle of the Bear Paws in 1877 when Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce surrendered to the U. S. Cavalry following a five-day battle.

Chief Sitting Bull had taken a band of warriors north into Canada following the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and one reason the fort was constructed was to allay fears that his band would raid into the area.

It also helped reduce fears of fights between tribes in the area and to raise confidence for settlers coming to the region.

The fort housed several famous individuals or groups, including Lt. John "Black Jack" Pershing, who would go on as a general to command the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I.

The companies of the African-American 10th Cavalry, known as the Buffalo Soldiers, were stationed at Assinniboine before rising to national fame during the Spanish-American War under the command of Pershing.

By 1911, the concerns in the region had diminished. Montana lawmakers and local residents had fought to keep a military presence at the fort, but after its heated water tower burned down for the third time, Fort Assinniboine was decommissioned.

Help needed at the fort

VandenBoom said preserving the site and its history, and retelling that history, is the goal of the preservation association.

He said anyone with skills they can lend to the fort and hours to spare would be welcome.

The buildings at the site are over 136 years old, he said, and it's a lot of work stabilizing and preserving them and sometimes just keeping them standing.

VandenBoom said while the board runs the affairs of the fort, they do operate under the auspices the Northern Agricultural Research Center of Montana State University, which owns the land.

However MSU doesn't generally have the fort as a funding priority, he said, which he understands given that the buildings, outside of their historical significance, don't provide a tremendous amount of utility.

The university system has a limited budget too, he said.

VandenBoom said another area they are having trouble in is tour guides.

He said they used to have two full-time tour guides, but now only have one who works part time and VandemBoom has had to help out when they're not available.

He said group tours, especially, are something they need help with.

Despite the difficulties of the present times, VandenBoom said, they have made some recent strides that they're happy about, particularly the completion of the roof on the Officer's Amusement Hall, which was a daunting project.

He said they also want to expand Living History Day with musical entertainment and maybe booths for local vendors to sell their wares at.

"There's so much more we'd love to do," he said.

VandenBoom said the board is always looking to improve their efforts to expose people to the rich history of Fort Assinniboine, and bring tourism to the area, but at this point they just need more people.

He said they are also always on the lookout for more artifacts and historical documents relevant to the fort, so anyone who might have something like that tucked away is encouraged to get in touch with them.

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Havre Daily News managing editor Tim Leeds contributed to this report.