Created by the order of President Abraham Lincoln in 1861, Dakota Territory was formed by all or part of what is today the states of North and South Dakota, Montana and the northern half of Wyoming.
At that time, the territory was occupied by a handful of trappers and fur traders living among nine separate Native American tribal nations.
New York City newspapers in 1837 touted the railroads as "the swift civilizer of the wilderness." Acknowledging the prevalent attitudes of the time defined civilization as an European-derived culture, this earliest desire for transcontinental railroads was purely for commerce.
But how to pay for it? A New Yorker proposed at a public meeting on January 4, 1847 to fund railroad projects by selling the adjacent lands adjacent to the railroad to emmigrants. He was accosted by a mob, claiming the idea was a swindle planned by conspirators to rob the government of its lands. And yet, a variation of this scheme were actually used to fund these projects.
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1971
In July 1871, the Northern Pacific Railroad would begin construction of a northern transcontinental rail line between Duluth and the west coast.
The Chief Engineer of NP Railroad's Eastern Division Thomas Rosser retraced and evaluated the 1854 proposed route between the Missouri River near Mandan and the Yellowstone River near today's Glendive, Montana. His group traveled with a large military escort out of Fort Rice in the Fall of 1871. They returned by steamboat without incident.
1872
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US Army issued Special Orders No. 65 on April 16, 1872 to establish an encampment as a supply depot to support the project to construct a bridge across the Missouri River for the Northern Pacific Railroad.No specific location was specified.
An oral history refers to it as "Camp Green" which coincidently was name of the officer who was assigned the mission. Some local residents claim the camp was to be established along the Missouri river near the Little Heart River.
However in June 1872, the US Army began construction of an infantry post designated as Fort McKeen above the confluence of the Heart and Missouri Rivers, near the former location of a fur trading post.
This fort was located 30 miles north of the existing Fort Rice, approximately 5 miles south of what would eventually become Mandan.
Consistent with the siting and design criteria used by the US Army at the time, the site was established on top of river bluffs and surrounded with a wood stockcade complete with blockhouses. Its location was far more defendable.
Construction on Ft. McKeen was commenced in June by companies B and C of the 6th Infantry under the command of Lt. Col. Daniel Huston Jr.
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The fort was located near the former Mandan settlement that has come to be known as On-A-Slant Village. Estimated to have included about 75 earthlodges and perhaps 1,000 residents, the village had likely existed for over 200 years before a 1781 smallpox epidemic decimated the population.
The construction of a wooden bridge across the Red River of the North was complete and the railroad came to Fargo in June 1872.
Frederic Gerard first settled on the future Mandan townsite.
General D.S. Stanley and his troops based out of Fort Rice again accompanied now two railroad survey crews to scout a new route west beyond the confluence of Glendive Creek and the Yellowstone River. Several battles with the Lakota involving Gall and Sitting Bull occurred. Lives were loss on on both sides including the loss of one of the two railroad survey crews. The expedition returned to Fort Rice in mid-October.
On November 20, 1872, Fort McKeen was renamed Fort Abraham Lincoln.
1873
A new county named "Morton" was created on January 8, 1873, by the territorial legislature. However administrative roles remained open and documentation remained incomplete. While the county organization was not completed at that time, but the new county was not attached to any other county for administrative or judicial matters.
The Northern Pacific Railroad's construction progressed relatively unimpeded until it the Missouri River at Bismarck in June. The Port of Bismarck would supply the upper Missouri River area, transferring freight from rail warehouses to steamships to supply the military and civilian settlements in the upper Missouri River valley, all the way to Fort Benton, Montana Territory.
In March 1873 Congress authorized the addition of a cavalry post to Fort Abraham Lincoln when foot soldiers were deemed ineffective against their mounted adversaries. By the fall of 1873, the 7th Cavalry and the 17th Infantry joined the 6th Infantry, increasing the fort’s population from 137 men and officers to 655. To accommodate this increase, 700 carloads of supplies and materials were shipped to Dakota Territory to construct seven officers’ quarters, a granary, office and dispensary, guard house, commissary storehouse, quartermaster’s storehouse, three soldiers' barracks with attached mess room and an ordinance depot.
A civilian settlement named "Lincoln" sprung up just beyond the walls of the cavalry fort.
The third railway survey expedition left Fort Rice in July with 373 men and 275 supply wagons again for the Yellowstone again with General Stanley in command. The group proceeded through what is currently the Glendive Montana area and up to Pompey's Pillar. Among the cavalry was Lt. Colonel Custer commanding the 7th Cavalry.
Six violent encounters suggests members of the area's Native American tribes had concluded that the surveying had gone far enough. During one fight, Custer had his horse shot out from under him. The surveying expedition returned and marched into Fort Lincoln and Fort Rice in September.
In November, George Custer with his wife Libbie moved to Fort Abraham Lincoln where Custer assumed his role as camp commander.
1874
1878
Earliest homesteaders and land speculators arrive and settled within the city limits of Mandan.
The first white baby born in Mandan area was Henry Helmsworth who was born on June 14, 1878 to Mr. & Mrs. Alex Helmsworth, Sr. at their home north of the railroad viaduct on Memorial Highway (near today's intersection of Main Street and Mandan Avenue). Mrs. Sarah Boley attended her. NOTE: Mandan was not yet officially incorporated as a village.)
Morton County completed its administrative organization on November 5, 1878. Lincoln, the civilian settlement adjacent to Fort Abraham Lincoln comprised of civilian support staff (such as interpreters), was named its county seat.
As reported in the Bismarck Tribune, in December 1878 a railroad work crew led by Thomas Rosser surprised the town when they showed up to begin construction.
1879
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With the start of Northern Pacific Railway's bridge across the Missouri and the corresponding surge of activity on the west bank, citizens of Burleigh County from the east bank successfully lobbied the 1879 territorial legislature to redraw Morton County's boundary to include the west bank communities of Mandan (formerly Morton, formerly Cushman), Lincoln, and Fort Abraham Lincoln. The move boosted Burleigh County's reported population in the official 1880 census by 69%, enhancing Bismarck's efforts to win as the new location for the capital of Dakota Territory in 1883.
The city's first newspaper, the Mandan Criterion, was began publication on May 24, 1879. Harry Robinson, originally from Wisconsin, arrived into town on May 16, 1879 opened his print shop and published his weekly newspaper until at least June 1887.
The first city-wide Fourth of July celebration including rodeo was held and included both children and adult foot races, pony races, horse races, wheel barrel races plus music and dance held at the "rustic dance hall."
A wide range of businesses were established in the city and began advertising their services in the local newspaper.
The MHSoc's museum and office is located at 3827 30th Avenue NW; Mandan, ND 58554 Contact us at info@mandanhistory.org
