French traders built a fort here in the mid-1700s shortly before the Dakota-Ojibwe conflict made the area unsafe for occupation. Archaeologists found the remains of three dwellings with fireplaces and storage pits, and excavation revealed clues about French fur-trader lifestyles, diets, architecture, defense, and their interactions with Native trading partners. This fort is the oldest European outpost yet located in the Mississippi Headwaters Region, and the site is also known as MO20. Between 1982 and 2003, archaeologist Doug Birk spent countless hours digging, researching, and documenting the area's history here during the Institute for Minnesota Archaeology's ownership of the property.