Near Havre in Hill County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)
Root Cellar
Fort Assinniboine
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 15, 2019
1. Root Cellar Marker
Inscription.
Before refrigeration, rural Americans preserved perishables in root cellars. The fort’s first root cellar, a 100-by-20- foot structure, was built in 1879-80. In 1902 the government invested $3,900 (about $237,000 in 2011 dollars) to replace the original root cellar with three identical structures at the southeast end of the parade ground. Only the southernmost wood, cement, and sod building remains intact. Built into the hillside, the 25-by-75-foot structure has walls 18-by-24-inch thick. To take advantage of dirt’s insulating qualities, only the entry is aboveground and the center section’s arched top is covered with sod. Three small wood-framed ventilation shafts circulate enough air to keep produce fresh. Hinged double-entry doors open onto a small vestibule, further protecting the main storage area from temperature extremes. The cellar stored the fort’s garden bounty as well as purchased provisions. Each infantry and cavalry company had its own gardeners. In large irrigated fields bordering Beaver Creek, they grew thirty different crops. Troop-grown potatoes, turnips, corn, onions, carrots, squash, apples, garlic, and
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rutabagas all wintered well in the root cellars, improving the health and quality of meals at the fort.
Erected by Montana Historical Society; Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places.
Location. 48° 29.88′ N, 109° 47.646′ W. Marker is near Havre, Montana, in Hill County. It is on Fort Circle near 82nd Avenue West (Assinniboine Road). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Havre MT 59501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Missouri River Country. It is also in the American Mountain West and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking
More about this marker. This marker on the grounds of Fort Assinniboine.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2019. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 225 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 20, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
