Glimpse into history: Fort Union National Monument celebrates 70th anniversary with a host of events this summer

Fort Union is coming out with guns blazing to help celebrate a milestone this summer.

In recognition of the 70th anniversary of the Fort Union National Monument, four one-hour black powder weapons demonstrations will be held on site on June 22 and June 23. The event will also include an educational aspect, which makes for a nice contrast for those in attendance.

“We’ll be talking a little bit about the history of the monument, which is really the preservation efforts of the significant history that started in the mid-1950s. We’ll try and make it more exciting with some historic weapons demonstrations,” said Mike Weinstein, a park ranger at the monument.

Glimpse into history: Fort Union National Monument celebrates 70th anniversary with a host of events this summer

“One of the neat things about our historic weapons demonstration is that Fort Union was set up as the primary post for the Army for all of New Mexico and Arizona for 40 years. What that means is the Fort Union arsenal was the primary source of weapons and ammunition for the entire Southwest. It was a major arsenal.”

According to Weinstein, weapons technology evolved rapidly during the mid to late 1800s. During that period, many weapons were developed in the eastern United States before being sent west to hubs like Fort Union for field-testing.

The actual weapons from that era won’t be in action during the demonstration. Instead, they will be reproductions which are usually obtained from online manufacturers. For those who are interested in the originals, there are a handful on display at the museum.

“There are enough hobbyists out there that like to reenact Army history that there’s a cottage industry of manufacturers out there that do reproductions of historic weapons,” Weinstein said. “There are folks out there, private reenactors, who actually have the original old weapons and shoot them, but the National Park Service, wanting to encourage preservation of history, does not allow its employees to actually fire old weapons. We have to use modern ones that work and look like the old ones.”

The event will feature several models of old rifles and carbines (compact versions of rifles), with rangers and volunteers decked out in attire from the different eras. Live rounds are not used during the demonstration, and everyone who fires the weapons will have undergone a two-week training course from the National Park Service to be properly versed in their use.

“We kind of use the weapons technology as the hook, but we also will wear the uniforms,” Weinstein said. “The Army was fighting a different type of combat style when it was fighting against the Native Americans in the West. We’re all wearing different uniforms, we’ve got different weapons technology, and we can also talk a little bit about how the Army organization and fighting style changed. The weapons demonstration is really a combination of visual, technology history and army history all rolled into one.”

The 70th anniversary celebration is just one of a number of events held at Fort Union throughout the year. The Fort Fashions and Pastimes, held on the weekend of July 13-14, highlights clothing styles and leisure activities of the 1800s. As with the weapons, there are quite a few people who make clothing from those eras. The monument will also host Fort Union Day on Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9.

“There’s always been a keen interest in all matters military,” Weinstein said.

On Aug. 31, there will be a First Fort and Arsenal Tour, a two-hour program which includes both living history and historic weapons demonstrations. This particular instance could include the firing of a cannon.

“That’s the one day of the year we can go out to the site of the first Fort Union and the Fort Union arsenal. It’s a satellite site,” Weinstein said. “It’s not far away, maybe a mile away from the main monument site. Because it is a satellite site, it’s surrounded by the privately owned Fort Union Ranch.”

Another newer offering is the Crackling Embers series, the last of which will be held on Nov. 9-10 and Dec. 7-8. This program features rangers — outfitted in historic garb — telling various historic or spooky tales around the campfire.

Other upcoming events can be found on the Fort Union website, nps.gov/foun. All are free to attend and do not require advance registration. Those who do plan to visit, especially in the summer months, should come prepared.

“There’s no shade,” Weinstein said. “If it’s a sunny day, they should bring water and definitely a hat. It’s not rugged hiking, but they should have decent walking shoes. It’s a walking experience.”