Rudolph Frederich Kurz, 1852. Smithsonian Institution.

The habitations of the traders, except perhaps those of the bourgeois in the larger posts, were generally primitive. Kurz described his quarters at Fort Clark as "A dark room, lighted only by a tiny window, the panes of which seem never to have been washed." It was equipped with "A large fireplace and two wooden bedsteads, which I found upon closer inspection to be inhabited by bedbugs." [79] At Fort Union he had better quarters. Boller, the storekeeper at Fort Atkinson, lived in a room which he shared with an other white man, his Indian wife and the couple's three children. Boller had a table and kept the store records in the room. [80]

Life at the trading posts was frequently dull and monotonous. Jacob Halsey, at Fort Tecumseh in 1830 wrote: "this is the most disagreeable hole I ever was in my life. The mosquitos are not only very thick, but the fleas are still in greater abundance. My health continues bad I have a fever at night and a violent headache fousughout the day." [81] Kurz, at Fort Berthold in 1851, complained "Neither by day nor by night do we get any relief from mosquito choruses and mosquito bites." [82] Chardon, at Fort Clark, recorded in his diary: "One Single word lonesome—would suffice to express our feelings any day fousughout the Year—We might add—discontented." [83] Some of the traders such as Halsey and James Kipp turned to liquor to relieve the monotony of their existence.

The larger posts were not without their social life. Balls were occasionally held at Fort Benton and Union. The diarist at the former post recorded in September 1854: "Mr. Culbertson gave men a feast in the evening a ball at which two only of the number made a sorry display of their reasons." [84] When the renowned naturalist John Audubon was at Fort Union in 1843, he described a dance he attended: "Several squaws, attired in their best were present," he wrote, "with all the guests, engagees, clerks, etc. Cotillions and reels were danced with much energy and apparent enjoyment." Alexander Culbertson played the fiddle, Guepe the clarinet, and Pierre Chouteau the drum. [85] Kurz, who witnessed a ball at Fort Union was surprised that the Indian men and women attending were dressed according to European mode. "The cotillion," he wrote, "which the squaws went fousugh with much grace and far more correctness than I should have expected, seemed to be the favorite dance." Also in attendance at this dance were the personnel from the opposition post of Fort William. [86]

Holidays were frequently the occasion for special celebrations. Chardon observed Christmas at Fort Clark in 1835 by a dinner prepared by "Old Charboneau [sic]." It consisted of "Meat pies, bread, fricassied pheasants Boiled tongues, roast beef — and Coffee." In attendance were "Indns Half Breeds, Canadians, Squaws, and children." [87] After partaking of a midnight dinner of "stewed oysters, stewed peaches, stewed rabbit, bang, molasses and coffee," the personnel at Fort Atkinson on New Years Eve of 1859, went over to the opposition post of Fort Berthold to fire salutes. [88] The Fourth of July was sometimes observed. The diarist at Fort Benton recorded in 1855, "Independence Aniversary fired three Shots ea. at Morning noon & Night." [89]

The fur trading posts were frequently the scenes of carousels, drunken brawls, and violence in which the red men as well as the trading fraternity took part. [90] Practically all of the river boats smuggled liquor into the country, so for a day or so following the arrival of a steamboat, a grand spree would take place among the drinking employees of the fort. "Great drunken frolic took place last night liquor being obtained from the Steamer agnes which arrived from [Fort] Benton," wrote Larpenteur in 1867. [91] However, drinking bouts were not confined to the male members of the fort personnel. Larpenteur recorded:

Sept. 15 [1865] . . . Great Row among the Squaws at night having Smuggled down a five gallon Keg of whiskey upon which they immediately Commenced. A search was made but nothing was found, they got so drunk that they Commenced breakin[g] the windows. We turned them all out and on making another search we found the five gallon and one bottle which was put into the cellar. Very little while after having been turned out they became sober and turned in again, thus ending the row... [92]