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left Bismark, driving north on ND 1804, headed for an old Mandan village.
It is situated on the east bank of the Missouri. Because of Sioux
incursions and smallpox epidemics, it had been abandoned for 25 years
when Clark noted in his journal Oct 22, 1804 : " passed ... the
upper of the 6 Villages the Mandans occupied about 25 years ago."
Top left, The Missouri flows past the village site. A sign, top right,
explains the use of a series of defensive ditches dug around the village
at different periods of its use. Right, an example of a still visible
ditch depression-hence the name. You may easily wander over the site,
devoid of crowds, and enjoy history as well as the view. The Missouri
is in a fairly natural state here. A sign tells how the natives used
the river's resources. |
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