Fort Assinniboine: Group looks at creating a foundation

The Fort Assinniboine Preservation Association is considering the possibility of creating a foundation to raise money for the cash-strapped former U.S Army fort turned historic site.

"We feel maybe if we can get a foundation started, it will be easier to raise funds," said Lynda Taplin, association president.

Funds are needed, said Taplin, to maintain and expand access to the remnants of the fort, which was opened in 1879, to protect the Assiniboine tribe from attacks by the Sioux and Nez Perce at the tail end of the Indian Wars.

The fort was decommissioned in 1911.

The fort is now part of the Old Forts Trail, a group of nine different forts that stretches from Fort Benton up through Canada.

Of the site's 100 buildings, 14 are still standing, but only three are now open to tours during the summer, Taplin said. She said the fort draws between 300 and 400 visitors during the months it is open, adding that the number of visitors is growing.

She said that she hopes additional buildings can become accessible to the visitors, but many of the aged structures need to be repaired.

Other projects the association is undertaking include the transformation of the fort's old library into an interpretive center in June, where artifacts discovered on the premises and donated can be showcased.

"We have a lot of things people can look at. It's just a matter of getting it out into advertising," Taplin said.

She said the association hopes to create its own website and increase its visibility on social media.