The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-01-09
Old Fort Cla1 k.

| .eWlS and Clark s time the main Mandan village
was two miles above the site. British fur traders
with headquarters at Turtle Mountain then
supplying the Mandans and their Gros Ventre
and Anahaway allie; with their needs from civil
zed lands. 1t was at this village that the Man
dams suffered almost total determination in 1893,
and l842.
1t was in 1892, when Catln the artist and trav
cer appeared at what was at that time the prin-
cipal Mandan village now the site of old Fort
Clark 1t tina. year the first steamer had APP
peared there bound for the mouth Of the Yellow
stone river and Catlin was passenger. 1t was
between the years 1911 and 1890 that the Ameri-
can Fur Company erected their principal trading
posts along the Upper Missouri. and it was un-
doubtedly within this time that they erected their
establishment at the mouth of what is now Fort
Clark Creek, Oliver County. p.
The Mandans on the east bank OF the river who
were then located on the plain bac;l from thu low
er end Of what is now known as Arches Point
abandoned their village site and moved acoss in
a body and erected their dirt lodges around those
of the new trading post They were also joined
by many from the upper village and after the
small pox epidemic, becam= the only ho'ne OF the
survivors. About !845 the Manlan remnants
we're Joined by the Aricarees who were them
selves homeless wanderers since the obstruction
of their village by Col. Atkinson and his command
and their Sioux allies, near the mouth Of Grand
River, few years previous to their arrival
An error that seems to be general even with
many we'll informed persons that Fort Clark was
erected by Lewis and Clark at the time OF their
famous expedition. A glance at their journal
will correct that impression The post had been
named in honor of Captain Clark of the expedi-
ton, but not until that gentleman had became
Territorial governor and ex-otflcio commissioner
of Indian Affairs, and was in a position to grant
or Withhold favors to traders in the Indian country
1t was when Harvey & Primeau had bought out
the interest of the American Fur Company at
that place that Fort Clark received its name
The fort and village WIS abandoned in 1856,
after an eventful history. On the writer's advent
in 1860, the chimeys Of the abandoned establish
ment were still standing and white pang yet
encrcle.d the graves Of tho So near anil dear to
the traders family or Of their assistants Not even
raised mound now point the site of the grave
yard The white traders who had lived and died
there have now the same mark OF destruction that
mark the site of their red patrons and customers,
unknown sepuchures
The only two men now known to be living
who were connected with this trading establish
ment are +. f. Girard now of Minneapolis and
Charles Malnori, ST.. of Elbowoods.
The following incident which it was claimed
happened in the summer of 40, is here related,
not 50 much for its impropabli'y, as of the fact
that Girard Manori end the other employees be-
leve thatt really happened while many of them
claimed that they witnessed the affair and came to
the rescue of the hoodooed man. Malnori in
particular while not claiming himself witness, is
firm in his belief that the affair was mystic reality
Among the employees was terrible biasPhe
mer. He was "handy" mana desirable help
but his blasphemous language was terrifying to
listen to, even by men hardened to the use OF vic
enithets. One day he sat astride wood horse
with draw shave in his hand making whooP
poles for binding buffalo bales. He was working
inside the stockade The main gate was closed
but the little side door leading out was open.
Something went wrong with the blasphemer at ms
work when he ripped out some terrible oats. All
a. once bv unseen power or invisible hands the
,ooden draw horse arose with its blasphemous
rider shot through the open doorway and out up
IN na;n near Knife river. He went through air
at terrific speed, but was followed from the Fort
, INV h;s awe stricken comrades, who found the
Door wretch wedged among pile of stone, as