Montezuma on the Missouri: A Centennial of Sorts

Abstract

century ago, in the Fall of 1889 Carlos Montezuma, newly graduated from the Chicago Medical School, had his first look at the place where he was to be the physician, Fort Stevenson Federal Indian Boarding School, and as we look back on the life of this first Indian physician in American perspectives, we can see the consequences of his efforts. was situated on the right bank of the Missouri River, 78 miles from Bismarck, North Dakota and 17 miles from the Fort Berthold Reservation agency headquarters. was housed in the surviving wooden frame buildings of Fort Stevenson, one of a chain of military posts originally intended to protect emigrants headed for the gold fields of Montana. post had been built on a bend in the Missouri River in 1867 and maintained as a military post until the summer of 1883 when the army moved out. buildings were in a military pattern of barracks, administrative offices, mess halls, officers quarters, and stables, around a parade ground. farm of 150 acres surrounded the three acres where the former military post buildings stood. abandoned fort had been transferred to the Agent of the Fort Berthold Reservation for use by the federal Indian Service. use, after the troops moved out, was as a boarding for students from the Fort Berthold Reservation. Indian Service hired a contractor to repair the buildings and make the post fit for the needs of a school, which was to be classified as an industrial training school, with training in shoe repair, tinsmithing, laundry, seamstressing, and blacksmithing. None of these appear to actually be training for industrial employment, but rather an odd jobs collection of tasks to keep the going for no particular purpose but to keep going. Superintendent George W. Scott arrived in October, 1885 to take charge of the and acerbically recorded the kind of place it was: Upon my arrival I found that special preparations had been made to receive me. (No one knew or cared that he was coming.) He found that he was to live in: A small dingy room, with fireplace at one end, calico curtains, a dry goods box for a wash stand, an outfit of tin utensils, completed the convenience of my quarters. An old spring wagon, an older team, were placed at my disposal for conveyance (page 4 Annual Report, 1886). There were other things G.W. Scott didn't like, as he became better acquainted with the situation: The everlasting quarreling, degrading and nauseous twaddle between employees and pupils, the inherent laziness of the former, the abominably filthy condition of the quarters, the accumulated rubbish around the buildings, the advantages of training pupils unused, the dilapidated condition of the buildings, following an expenditure of $3,000, thereon, all has an injurious effect on this school (page 1, Reports of Indian Schools, Annual Report of the Commission of Indian Schools, 1886). In addition, Scott reported that the quality of the drinking water was not good and had brought about a siege of illness among the employees and students, (the water came from the nearby Missouri River). For some reason the water barrels were seldom filled for the laundry, so that clean clothing and bed linen were infrequently available. idea of sufficient bathing in the 19th century explains some of the health problems among the inmates of the former fort: The regulation of weekly bathing has been strictly carried out, although accomplished by means of a common wash tub and water heated in a kettle. It is to be hoped that before another year some arrangements can be made which will afford proper facilities