Near Williston in williams County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Guardhouse and Officer of the Guard Building

Fort Buford State Historic Site

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 16, 2019

1. Guardhouse and Officer of the Guard Building Marker

Caption: Plan of the guardhouse at Fort Buford, Dakota Territory.

Inscription. The guardhouse (directly in front of you) and the officer of the guard building (the building to your right) were the heart of the fort's readiness and security functions. The officer of the guard supervised the men on guard duty who manned the guardhouse and sentry posts established around the fort's perimeter. Following taps, the "All's well!" calls, beginning at the guardhouse and progressing from one sentry post to the next, reassured the fort's inhabitants of their safety through the night.
Discipline was harsh in the frontier army and stiff punishments were handed down for failure to to comply with with (sic) orders and military regulations. Rates of desertion were high. Between 1897 and 1891, one-third of the men recruited into the army deserted. Drunkeness (sic) frequently landed men in the guardhouse, also known as "The Mill," for periods of up to ten days. Unauthorized absence or absence beyond leave were one of many infractions the led to time in the guardhouse.
The size and scale of Fort Buford's guardhouse is here by creating a three-dimensional metal outline of the building. This technique is called

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"ghosting."

Erected by State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Law Enforcement.

Location. 47° 59.33′ N, 103° 59.983′ W. Marker is near Williston, North Dakota, in williams County. It can be reached from 39th Lane Northwest near 153rd Avenue Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Williston ND 58801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Dakota’s Bakken Oil Patch.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

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 distance of this marker: Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker); Powder Magazine (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Parade Ground (about 800 feet away); Infantry Barracks

Guardhouse (ghost) and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 16, 2019

2. Guardhouse (ghost) and Marker

(approx. 0.2 miles away); Field Officers' Quarters (approx. 0.2 miles away); Telegraph Office (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Buford Historic Site (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Buford State Historic Site (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Williston.

More about this marker. This marker is on the grounds of Fort Buford State Historic Site.

Guardhouse (ghost), left, and Officer of the Guard Building, right image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 16, 2019

3. Guardhouse (ghost), left, and Officer of the Guard Building, right

Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 2, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 585 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 2, 2019, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.