‘Reading on the Frontier’ book club

“Reading on the Frontier,” a history-based book club begins Saturday, Feb. 7, 1-2:30 p.m., at the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center near Williston. Future meetings are scheduled at 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. The program is recommended for adults and older teens, and no prior historical knowledge is required.

The first session will feature “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.

The reading series will explore books commonly found in late 19th century military post libraries, drawing directly from Fort Buford’s historic post library collection. Each session places the readings in historical context, examining why the titles circulated at Fort Buford and what they reveal about the social, cultural, and military life of the 19th century on the northern Plains.

Books were highly prized at Fort Buford. Members of the 6th Infantry famously fought — and ultimately lost — the right to take their post library with them when reassigned, underscoring the importance of reading on the frontier.

Fort Buford State Historic Site and the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center are managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and closed Sunday-Monday. Fort Buford is closed for the season. For more information, contact Outreach Coordinator Nicholas Kusnierek, [email protected] or 701.572.9034. All times listed are Central time. Find information about upcoming programs of the State Historical Society at history.nd.gov/events.