River Basin Surveys Papers, No. 19: Archeological Investigations at the Site of Fort Stevenson (32ML1), Garrison Reservoir, North Dakota

Published as a series sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology, the “River Basin Surveys Papers” are a collection of archeological investigations focused on areas now flooded by the completion of various dam projects in the United States. The River Basin Surveys Papers (numbered 1-39) were mostly published in bundles with 5-6 papers in each bundle. In collaboration with the United States (US) National Park Service and the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Department of the Interior, and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Smithsonian Institution pulled archeological and paleontological remains from several sites prior to losing access to the sites due to flooding. The Smithsonian Institution calls this project the Inter-Agency Archeological Salvage Program. Paper number 19 discusses the excavation of the Fort Stevenson site which was a military post from 1867-1883 and then an Indian school from 1883 until 1894. This paper contains background and history on Fort Stevenson, focused primarily on its history as a military post. Excavation descriptions cover a hospital, barracks, a storehouse, officers’ quarters, and recovered objects including military goods, civilian goods, goods from the Indian school, and miscellaneous other goods. This area was flooded by completion of the Garrison Dam. Appendix written by Carlyle S. Smith. This paper includes photographs, illustrations, and maps.