Timeline of North Dakota

Significant events in North Dakota’s history

North Dakota, a land sculpted by ancient glaciers and inhabited for millennia by indigenous peoples, boasts a rich and multifaceted history. From the earliest nomadic tribes to the arrival of European explorers and the subsequent wave of settlement, the state’s narrative is one of resilience, adaptation, and transformation. This Timeline of North Dakota meticulously chronicles the pivotal moments that have shaped the state’s identity, offering a glimpse into the lives of those who have called this land home.

Pre-17th Century: Indigenous Foundations

Long before European contact, the lands of present-day North Dakota were home to diverse indigenous nations, each with unique cultures, traditions, and ways of life. Archaeological evidence suggests human presence in the region dating back at least 11,000 years.

• Ancient Cultures: Paleo-Indians, the earliest inhabitants, hunted megafauna like mammoths and bison across the vast plains. Over time, these nomadic hunters evolved into more settled agricultural societies.
• Village Dwellers: The Mandan and Hidatsa tribes, known for their earth lodge villages along the Missouri River, developed sophisticated agricultural practices and complex social structures. These villages served as vital trading centers, facilitating exchange between different indigenous groups. The aerial view of Big Hidatsa Village provides a glimpse into the organized communal life of these early inhabitants.
• Nomadic Tribes: The Cheyenne, initially living in earth lodges in the Cheyenne River valley, and the Sioux, migrating from the woodlands of Minnesota, adapted to a nomadic lifestyle on the plains, relying on the buffalo for sustenance and developing skilled horsemanship.

17th Century: Shifting Tribal Territories

The 17th century witnessed significant shifts in tribal territories as various groups vied for resources and adapted to changing environmental conditions.

• Cheyenne: Occupied the Cheyenne River valley, establishing earth lodge dwellings as their primary form of shelter.
• Hidatsa: Migrated westward from Devils Lake, settling along the Missouri River and integrating into the established network of agricultural villages.
• Sioux: Moved onto the plains from the woodlands of Minnesota, embracing a nomadic lifestyle and establishing their presence as a dominant force on the prairies.

18th Century: Exploration and Early Trade

The 18th century marked the arrival of European explorers and the beginnings of the fur trade, forever altering the course of North Dakota’s history.

• Territorial Claims: Henry Hudson claimed the Hudson Bay watershed, including eastern North Dakota, for England in 1610, while La Salle claimed the Mississippi River drainage, including the Missouri River drainage in North Dakota, for France in 1682. These competing claims set the stage for future conflicts over control of the region. In 1713, England gained the northern part of North Dakota from France. Later, in 1762, Spain received from France the land claimed by LaSalle. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 granted England part of the state drained by the Mouse and Red Rivers.
• French Exploration: Pierre Gaultier de la Vérendrye, a French explorer, visited Mandan villages near the Missouri River in 1738, marking the first known Euro-American expedition into present-day North Dakota. His sons returned to the Missouri River in 1742, continuing the exploration in search of a western sea. Other explorers like Jonathan Carver (1768) and David Thompson (1797) followed, contributing to the growing knowledge of the region.
• Early Trade: A fur trading post, the first known business enterprise, was briefly established near the Souris River in 1781 but was soon abandoned due to pressure from indigenous populations. Jacques D’Englise (Santiago Leglise) opened trade between Mandan villages and Spanish interests from St. Louis in 1792. René Jusseaume built a fur-trading post near present-day Washburn along the Knife River in 1794. John Evans from St. Louis ascended the Missouri River to the Mandan villages near the Knife River in 1796. Alexander Henry Jr. started a fur-trading post at Park River in 1797, moving it to Pembina in 1801, attracting the first white settlement in North Dakota. David Thompson, an English explorer, mapped the northern part of the state in 1797.

19th Century: Settlement and Statehood

The 19th century witnessed a rapid transformation of North Dakota, from a sparsely populated territory to a burgeoning state.

• Fur Trade Expansion: By 1800, fur traders from Canada were frequent visitors, establishing a trade route between posts near Lake Winnipeg and the Missouri River Indian villages. John Cameron built a trading post at the current site of Grand Forks in 1801. On March 12, 1802, the first non-Indian child was born in what is now North Dakota to Pierre Bonza and his wife, Black slaves of Alexander Henry, Jr.
• Louisiana Purchase and Exploration: The United States acquired the western half of the Mississippi River basin from France in the Louisiana Purchase on December 30, 1803. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark entered North Dakota in 1804, wintering near the present town of Washburn and building Fort Mandan, visited by Native Americans. The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through North Dakota on its way back to St. Louis in 1806. On December 29, 1807, the first white child was born in present-day North Dakota to fur post employees at Pembina.
• Early Settlement: An agricultural colony was established near Pembina by settlers from Canada under the authority of a royal grant to Lord Selkirk in 1812, but it failed in 1820. Part of what is now North Dakota became part of the Missouri Territory in 1812. The 49th parallel became the boundary between the United States and lands claimed by Great Britain in Canada in 1818, and all of North Dakota became part of the Missouri Territory. Fathers Dumoulin and Provencher established a Roman Catholic mission at Pembina in 1818; the first school, taught by William Edge, operated in connection with this mission.
• Military Presence and Treaties: Fur Trading posts were established in the Missouri Valley in 1822. An expedition led by Stephen J. Long fixed the boundary between the United States and Canada north of Pembina in 1823. A second military expedition, led by Henry Leavenworth, attempted to make treaties with the Arikara and other tribes in 1823. Later expeditions included Atkinson-O’Fallon (1825), Fremont-Nicollet (1839), and the Stevens Survey (1853). Fort Union fur trading post was established in 1829, followed by Fort Clark fur trading post in 1831.
• Steamboat Era and Territorial Changes: The Yellowstone, the first steamboat on the upper Missouri River, reached Fort Union in 1832. Land east of the Missouri River became part of the Territory of Michigan in 1834, then Wisconsin in 1836, and Iowa in 1838. John C. Fremont and Jean Nicolet explored the east-central part of the state in 1839. The first Red River ox-cart caravan traversed trails between St. Joseph (Walhalla) and St. Paul in 1842, inaugurating significant commerce.
• Further Settlement and Religious Missions: Major fur posts in this area were operated by Joseph Rolette (1842), Norman Kittson (1843), and Antoine Gingras (1843). Fort Berthold fur trading post was established in 1845. Father George Anthony Belcourt opened mission fields at Pembina, St. Joseph, and in the Turtle Mountains in 1848. Reverend Alonzo Barnard and James Tanner conducted the first Protestant services in the area at Pembina. Land east of the Missouri River became part of the Minnesota Territory in 1849.
• Infrastructure Development: The first post office was established in what is now North Dakota at Pembina, with Norman Kittson as Postmaster, from 1849-1851. A permanent agricultural settlement was established at Pembina under Charles Cavileer. The first flour mill was established at St. Joseph by Father Belcourt. Issac I. Stevens crossed the state surveying the “Northern Route” for the proposed transcontinental railroad in 1853.
• Military Expansion and Dakota Territory: Land east of the Missouri River became part of the Nebraska Territory in 1854. In 1858, land east of the Missouri River was left without territorial government when Minnesota became a state. The military occupation of North Dakota began with the establishment of Fort Abercrombie on the Red River in 1858. The Anson Northrup, the first steamboat on the Red River, traveled from Fort Abercrombie to Winnipeg in 1859. Regular steamboat service on the Missouri River began in 1860.
• Dakota Territory and Indian Wars: The Federal government officially organized Dakota Territory in 1861, and President Abraham Lincoln appointed William Jayne the first governor. Dakota Territory was opened for homesteading in 1862, and the First Territorial Legislature for Dakota Territory met at Yankton. Sioux besieged Fort Abercrombie during the Minnesota Uprising. Campaigns intended to punish Santee Sioux, who participated in the Minnesota Uprising, pushed through northern Dakota in 1863, led by General Henry H. Sibley and General Alfred H. Sully. Sully’s forces attacked a peaceful hunting camp of Yanktonai Sioux at Whitestone Hill on September 3, 1863, the last major battle of the Indian Wars period east of the Missouri River.
• Continued Conflict and Fort Construction: The first newspaper to be published in northern Dakota, The Frontier Scout, was issued at Fort Union in 1864. An immigrant party led by James Fiske was besieged near present-day Marmarth for two weeks, constructing sod breastworks known as Fort Dilts. A second military expedition led by Sully battled Sioux at Killdeer Mountain and in the Badlands. Military troops began the temporary occupation of Fort Union (1864-65) and Fort Berthold (1864-67), pending the establishment of new forts. The military post of Fort Rice (1864-78) was established.
• Treaties and Reservations: The military post of Fort Buford (1866-95) was established. The Fort Totten Indian Reservation was established in 1867, and Sisseton and Wahpeton Sioux ceded lands to the U.S. government by treaty. The military posts of Fort Ransom (1867-72), Fort Totten (1867-90), and Fort Stevenson (1867-83) were established. A peace treaty granted the Sioux lands west of the Missouri River in Dakota Territory in 1868. Joseph Rolette made the first homestead entry in northern Dakota in the northern Red River Valley.
• Railway Development and Settlement Boom: The Northern Pacific Railway was built from the Red River to Jamestown in 1872. The first commercial telegraph line was extended from Fargo to Winnipeg, and the military posts of Fort Abraham Lincoln (1872-91), Camp Hancock (1872-77), and Fort Seward (1872-77) were established. On July 11, 1873, Colonel Clement A. Lounsberry published the first issue of the Bismarck Tribune. A U.S. Weather Bureau station was established at Camp Hancock at Bismarck in 1874. A significant reconnaissance from Fort Abraham Lincoln, led by Colonel George A. Custer, explored the Black Hills and verified the existence of gold in that region in 1874.
• Conflict and Tragedy: The 7th Cavalry, led by General George A. Custer, left Fort Abraham Lincoln near Bismarck to join the expedition against the Sioux in 1876. Leaving Fort Abraham Lincoln on May 17, Custer met a decisive defeat at the Little Bighorn River in Montana on June 25. The first Bismarck to Deadwood stage left Bismarck in 1877. First telephones in northern Dakota connected locations on the Grandin bonanza farm near Grandin.
• Ranching and the Great Dakota Boom: Ranching was introduced in western Dakota Territory in 1878. The Great Dakota land boom began in 1879. A military post at Cantonment Badlands (1879-83) was established. Military reserves in the eastern and central portion of northern Dakota were opened to homesteading in 1880. The last great Indian buffalo hunt occurred in 1882. The Turtle Mountain Reservation was established. Fire destroyed a large portion of Grand Forks.
• Capital Relocation and Institutional Development: The territorial capital was moved from Yankton to Bismarck in 1883. A university (UND) at Grand Forks and a Presbyterian College (now Jamestown College) were established. Theodore Roosevelt first visited Medora, later establishing two ranches. Half the city of Devils Lake was destroyed by fire in 1884. The first meeting of the Territorial Legislature was held at Bismarck in 1885.
• Statehood and Early Governance: The Bank of Hamilton (the oldest state bank in North Dakota ) was opened in 1886. Standing Rock Indian Reservation was opened to homesteading in 1887. North Dakota became the 39th State on November 2, 1889. North Dakota’s first Governor, John Miller of Dwight, took office. State Legislature convened at Bismarck on November 19. The constitutional prohibition of alcoholic beverages was instigated. The North Dakota Farmers Alliance was formed.
• Social and Political Upheaval: Ghost Dance activities among the Sioux caused panic among settlers in 1890. Sitting Bull was killed at Standing Rock Indian Reservation. State Normal Schools at Valley City and Mayville (now State Universities), the State Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University) at Fargo, and the School for the Deaf at Devils Lake were opened. The fusion of Democrats and Populists overthrew early Republican Party domination of state politics in 1892; Eli C.D. Shortridge was elected Governor. Laura J. Eisenhuth, the first woman to hold state office, was elected Superintendent of Public Instruction.
• Infrastructure and Institutions: The Industrial School at Ellendale (later known as the State Normal and Industrial School) was opened in 1893. The North Dakota Soldiers’ Home was opened at Lisbon. The Republican Party regained control of state government in 1894. The State Historical Society of North Dakota was incorporated in 1895. The first free public library opened at Grafton in 1897. North Dakota sent troops to assist in the Spanish-American War in 1898. Fort Lincoln, located south of Bismark, was completed and garrisoned in 1903. Timeline of North Dakota shows the changes that occured in those times.

20th and 21st Centuries: Modern North Dakota

The 20th and 21st centuries have brought further economic diversification, technological advancements, and social changes to North Dakota. This Timeline of North Dakota concludes with the beginning of 20th century. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of the state’s economy, while the discovery of oil and natural gas has led to a significant energy boom. The state continues to grapple with issues related to its indigenous populations, balancing economic development with environmental concerns, and adapting to the challenges of a rapidly changing world.