Lesser Known Forts at the Confluence

Lesser Known Forts at the Confluence. . Fort Henry , Fort Henry was established in 1822 by the fur trading firm of Ashley and Henry. Intended as a supply depot for trapping expeditions up the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, it was deemed too far from the mountains and abandoned in 1823. , Fort William (first construction) , Fort William was established in 1833 to compete against nearby Fort Union. A year after its completion, it was sold to the American Fur Company, which also owned Fort Union. Fort William's stockade was then torn down and the lumber used at Fort Union for a variety of purposes. , Fort Mortimer , Fort Mortimer was built in 1842 by the Union Fur Company. Named for investor Mortimer Livingston, it was never a major competitor and sold out to the owners of Fort Union. , Fort William , The second Fort William was established in 1846 by Harvey, Prime, and Company. It was built on the site of Fort Mortimer, and used some of its former structures. The westward movement of the Assiniboine (the fort's major trading partners) led to Fort William's abandonment in 1858. Parts of Fort William may have been used in the 1866 construction of nearby Fort Buford.