Fort Buford Splendid Isolation

Winner of a 2003 Gold Aurora Award

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Fort Buford stood in splendid isolation at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers in present day North Dakota for almost 30 years—from 1866 to 1895. This menacing sentinel guarded an important transportation route that became a lifeline for federal troops during the plains wars of the 1870s. In 1881, Native American leader Sitting Bull surrendered at Fort Buford.

"Fort Buford Splendid Isolation" documents how the fort grew in the three major building phases of its lifetime. Using modern videography, historic photos, journal entries and reenactor footage, it gives us a glimpse into what a soldier's life was like at a remote western military fort in the mid to late 1880s.

This exceptional program takes you on a guided tour of the Fort Buford State Historic site and visits the National Archives in Washington, D.C.Major funding is provided by the State Historical Society of North Dakota through a grant from the National Historical Publication and Records Commission and by the members of Prairie Public.

Visit www.DiscoverND.com for more information about historic Fort Buford and other activites of the State Historical Society of North Dakota.