Fort Clark Trading Post State Historic Site
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UnclaimedA North Dakota state historic site preserving the archaeological remains of Mandan and Arikara settlements and two nineteenth-century Missouri River trading posts.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Fort Clark Trading Post State Historic Site preserves the archaeological remains of a major nineteenth-century settlement and trading complex on the bluffs of the Missouri River in central North Dakota. The location first became a Mandan settlement in 1822, when Mandan residents constructed earth-covered lodges near the river. In 1830, James Kipp, acting for the American Fur Company, established a trading post south of the Mandan village. The post formed part of the commercial network that connected Indigenous communities, fur traders, steamboat traffic, and the wider economy of the upper Missouri River. The site was also an important point of contact between Indigenous societies and visitors from the United States and Europe. The steamboat Yellowstone reached the upper Missouri in 1832, bringing a large cargo of trade goods and liquor. That same year, the artist George Catlin visited the area. During the winter of 1833–1834, the German traveler and naturalist Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied and the artist Karl Bodmer stayed at or near the settlement, producing written and visual records that contributed to later European and American knowledge of the upper Missouri region. Fort Clark's history also reflects the severe demographic and social consequences of epidemic disease during the era of expanding trade. In 1837, passengers aboard the steamboat St. Peters brought smallpox to the village. The resulting Great Plains smallpox epidemic devastated the Mandan population, killing approximately ninety percent of the inhabitants according to historical accounts. In 1838, the nearby Arikara moved into the largely abandoned village area. A second trading post was established in 1850 by Charles Primeau, demonstrating the continuing commercial importance of the location despite the earlier catastrophe. Cholera affected the settlement in 1851, followed by another smallpox outbreak in 1856. The trading-post era ended after a Dakota attack in 1861, after which the fort was permanently abandoned. The physical structures have largely disappeared, but archaeological evidence remains extensive. More than 2,200 visible surface features have been identified, including depressions marking former earth lodges, house remains, and burial-related features. An unmarked cemetery containing more than 800 graves is also associated with the site. These remains provide evidence of Indigenous settlement, trade, disease, migration, and conflict along the upper Missouri River. Most of the property has been held by the state since 1889. In 1986, two sections totaling approximately 125 acres were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Fort Clark Archeological District. The site is operated by the North Dakota State Historical Society. Unlike a conventional commercial brand, it functions as a public heritage and archaeological resource: its value lies in preservation, interpretation, and stewardship rather than in products or commercial services.
History
The Fort Clark area was inhabited by Mandan people before the establishment of the nineteenth-century trading posts. In 1822, Mandan residents built a settlement of earth-covered lodges on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. The location's position near the river made it suitable for movement, exchange, and communication across the upper Missouri region. In 1830, James Kipp, representing the American Fur Company, constructed Fort Clark Trading Post south of the Mandan village. The post became part of the fur-trade system that linked Indigenous communities with commercial operators and river transportation. Steamboat traffic brought additional goods and visitors. The Yellowstone arrived in 1832 on an early voyage up the upper Missouri, carrying a substantial cargo of trade goods and liquor. George Catlin visited the settlement that year. During the winter of 1833–1834, Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied and Karl Bodmer stayed in the area; their observations and artwork documented aspects of the people and landscape encountered along the river. The settlement's history was profoundly altered by infectious disease. In 1837, the steamboat St. Peters reached the village with passengers carrying smallpox. The epidemic that followed killed approximately ninety percent of the Mandan population, making Fort Clark one of the sites associated with the catastrophic spread of disease across the Great Plains. The population disruption left the village largely abandoned. In 1838, Arikara people moved into the former village area, continuing Indigenous occupation while also entering a landscape shaped by the epidemic and by the commercial trade network. Commercial activity resumed in another form when Charles Primeau built a second trading post in 1850. The settlement nevertheless experienced further epidemics, including cholera in 1851 and smallpox in 1856. Tensions and conflict in the region continued as well. Following a Dakota attack in 1861, the fort was permanently abandoned, ending the site's period as an operating trading post. The remains survived as an archaeological landscape rather than as standing architecture. Most of the site has been owned by the State of North Dakota since 1889. Archaeological evidence includes more than 2,200 surface features, such as the remains and depressions of houses and earth lodges, as well as an unmarked cemetery containing more than 800 graves. In 1986, two sections covering approximately 125 acres were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Fort Clark Archeological District. The North Dakota State Historical Society operates the historic site and manages its interpretation and preservation. Today, the site communicates the interconnected histories of Mandan and Arikara communities, Indigenous and commercial exchange, steamboat travel, epidemic disease, migration, conflict, and archaeological conservation.
- 1986
Archaeological district receives National Register recognition
[1]Two portions of the site, totaling about 125 acres, were listed as the Fort Clark Archeological District.
- 1889
Most of the site enters state ownership
[1]Most of the historic property came under ownership of the State of North Dakota.
- 1861
Trading post permanently abandoned
[1]Following a Dakota attack, the fort was permanently abandoned.
- 1856
Second smallpox outbreak
[1]Another smallpox outbreak occurred at the settlement.
- 1851
Cholera outbreak
[1]A cholera outbreak affected the settlement.
- 1850
Second trading post established
[1]Charles Primeau built another trading post at the site.
- 1838
Arikara move into the abandoned village
[1]The Arikara moved into the former Mandan village area after the epidemic.
- 1837
Smallpox epidemic devastates the Mandan community
[1]Passengers on the St. Peters introduced smallpox, causing an epidemic that killed approximately ninety percent of the Mandan population.
- 1833
Maximilian and Bodmer spend the winter at the site
[1]Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied and artist Karl Bodmer stayed in the area during the winter of 1833–1834.
- 1832
Yellowstone reaches the upper Missouri
[1]The steamboat Yellowstone arrived with trade goods and liquor, marking an important episode in river transportation and commercial exchange at the site.
Products and positioning
A publicly managed archaeological and heritage destination focused on Indigenous history, the nineteenth-century fur trade, Missouri River transportation, and the preservation of a landscape affected by epidemic disease and intercultural contact.
Heritage conservation
Archaeological site preservation
The site's principal offering is preservation and interpretation of archaeological remains associated with Mandan and Arikara settlements and the Fort Clark trading posts. Visible evidence includes lodge depressions, house remains, graves, and other surface features distributed across the historic landscape.
Public history
Historic-site interpretation
Interpretive activity presents the site's layered history, including Indigenous settlement, the fur trade, Missouri River steamboat travel, encounters with visiting artists and travelers, epidemic disease, migration, and the eventual abandonment of the fort.
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