The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-02-22
State Geographic Board, Ap.
pointed by Governor Sorlic,
Makes Survey of State at
Suggestion of an Eastern
Organization

Grand Forks, n. D., Feb. 22.-
(AP)-The seven places in North
Dakota which have the creates his
torical interest are Fort Union, 1881
1867; Stanton, the county seat of
Mercer county; Sanish, the terminus
of the 500 Line railroad on the east
bank of the Missouri river and the
point where the Verendrye bridge
spans that stream; Fort Abercrom-
bic; Fort Berthold; Pembina and
Fort Abraham Lincoln. situated on
the west side of the Missouri river
a few miles south Of Bismarck.
Such is the judgment of the state
geographical board which was APP
pointed year ago to settle such
questions. The survey to determine
the seven places of most historic
interest was made at the suggestion
Of an eastern organization, which
also asked for list of the seven
chief natural wonders of the state.
Members Of the geographic board,
appointed by Governor Sorlic at the
request Of the national geographic
board. are: @. G. Libby, Grand Forks,
chairman; Rev. c. l.. Hall, Elbo-
woods; Judge Horace Baglcy,. Town
err; Howard f. Simpson, Grand
Forks, and Dana Wright, st. John.
Their duty is to pass on all disputes
concerning geographic names and to
compile an official gazetteer Of place
names within the state, just as the
national organization does for the
entire country.
Main Trading Fort
Concerning Fort Union. the re-
port points out that it was estab-
lished by the American Fur company
as its principal trading fort on the
Upper Missouri river and was built
to compete with the IIudson's Bay
company for the trade Of the Black
feet, Assiniboine, Crow and Pigeon
Indians. 1t was generally considered
the most solidly built fort on the
river.
Stanton is held to be notable be-
cause in this vicinity the Lewis and
Clark expedition built Fort Mandan
as wintering place. Here. along
the Knife and Missouri rivers, were
the three Hidatsa, or Gros Ventre
and the two Mandan Indian villages
known to all white traders and hunt
ers as the Five Villages. In the
middle village Of the Hidatsa lived
Charbonneau and Sakakawea and
from their village they journeycd
with the Lewis and Clark expedition
to the Pacific ocean in 1906.
Sanish was known as Old Crossing
by the Indians from earliest times
becaus it was one of the crossings
most used by the great buffalo herds
in their annual migrations. Herr
Francis, a son Of Verendryc, in TBS
visited an Hidatsa village. ther
located just above the present bridge
site. Again in 17l2 two sons d
Verendryc crossed tho river a
Sanish and spent several months ex
ploring westward and southwark t
the Big Horn mountains and tht
upper waters. of the North Plat.
river.
First Military Post
Fort Abercrombie was the frs
military fort established in NORTH
Dakota, 1853 to 1877. 1t was built
to protect settlers in the Red river
valley from the attacks Of the Da.
kota Indians. The settlers went there
for refuge at the time of the Mime.
sofa massacre III 1862. From il
military and post roads radiated west
and north to military forts which
We're built at a later date. 1t was
for long time, military base fol-
that part of the state.
A few miles south, on the Mime
sofa side, is Graham's point or Point
abraham, one Of the earliest ant
best known fords on the Red river
1t was used constantly by cart trains
on their way from Winnipeg to For
Smelling. Part Of the site Of For
Abercrombie is now IN state park
Fort Bcrthold was an carly trad.
ing fort and military station on the
Upper Missouri. After 1887, wher
a smallpox epidemic ravaged the
Five Villages, the Mandans ant
Hidatsa moved gradually to Fort
Berthold, the first settlement being
in 1845. The Arikara Indians joined
them in 1861. It was the las,
village in which was built the rount
earth lodges used by these Indians.
White traders settled at For
Berthold about the same time a
the Indians and it became we'll
known stopping point. When Gen
aral Sully marched past the post ir
1864 he left a small detachment to
protect the Indians there from the
Dakotas. After the building of Fort
Stevenson in 1867 this garrison was
withdrawn.
First Trading Post
Pembina wins a place in the list
because it was the first trading post
established in the state. It was
built in 1897 by the Northwest COM
pany and in 1901 two other COM