Campbell’s Island State Memorial

Description

At Campbell's Island, located in the Mississippi River near present-day Rock Island, a day-long battle was fought in the War of 1812. On July 19, 1814, a pro-British band of Sauk Indians led by Black Hawk attacked a force of United States regulars and rangers under Lieutenant John Campbell. The Americans were defeated, with the loss of 16 American lives. Campbell's Island State Memorial consists of a North Carolina granite monument dedicated in 1908, in a mini-park overlooking the river.

Website offers no specifics about interpretative services offered at the site.

Rosebud Battlefield State Park [MT]

Description

This 3,000-acre Eastern Montana rolling prairie park preserves the site of the June 17, 1876, battle between the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians and General Crook’s soldiers supported by the Crow and Shoshone Indians. Remote, quiet, and undeveloped, the park includes prehistoric sites and the homestead ranch of the Kobold family.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site beyond signage.

Fort Mandan and Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center [ND]

Description

The Lewis and Clark Expedition arrived at the Mandan-Hidatsa Indian villages on the Upper Missouri River on October 25, 1804. They found the Mandan people very hospitable and decided to remain at this wintering site until the spring thaw when they would resume their up-river journey. On November 3, William Clark made a simple entry in his journal, "We commence building our cabins." These cabins formed part of an enclosure that was christened Fort Mandan in honor of their hosts. As it turned out, Fort Mandan was occupied longer than any of the three winter posts used by the expedition. Reconstructed Fort Mandan rests in the riparian forests of the Missouri River. The refurnished rooms of this full-size replica depict the equipage of the Lewis and Clark Expeditio. On-site interpreters provide programs and year-round tours of Lewis and Clark's 1804–1805 wintering post. The Interpretive Center provides an overview of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with special emphasis on the time spent at Fort Mandan. The displays include Native American artifacts, a buffalo robe visitors will be able to try on, as well as a "cradle-board" much like the one Sakakawea may have used to carry her baby. An authentic wood canoe carved from the trunk of a large cottonwood tree demonstrates the winter preparations the Expedition made while at Fort Mandan.

The site offers exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Fort Rice State Historic Site [ND]

Description

This site preserves remaining vestiges of a military post established in 1864 by General Alfred Sully to supply his campaign into western Dakota and to protect traffic on the Missouri River, a function the fort continued until replaced by Fort Yates in 1877. There is a marker on the site.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.

Father Marquette Memorial Scenic Site [MI]

Description

This historic state park hosts the national memorial that honors the Jesuit priest who established Michigan's first permanent settlement. Today, Father Marquette is recognized as one of the great explorers of the North American continent. On a rise overlooking the Straits of Mackinac, the Father Marquette National Memorial pays homage to this 17th-century missionary-explorer and the meeting of French and Native American cultures deep in the North American wilderness. Current attractions include the National Memorial, an outdoor interpretive trail, picnicking, and a panoramic view of the Mackinac Bridge.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services beyond signage available at the site.

David Thompson State Historic Site [ND]

Description

This site lies near the supposed route followed by trappers and traders en route between Canadian trading posts and the Indian villages along the Missouri River. It is named after the famous English explorer, scientist, and cartographer, David Thompson. There is a marker on the site.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.

Connor Battlefield Historic Site [WY]

Description

In the summer of 1865, General Patrick E. Connor led a column of troops from Fort Laramie into the Powder River Country of northern Wyoming. The Powder River Expedition's mission was to make war on the Indians and punish them, so that they would be forced to keep the peace. On August 28th, with the column located on Prairie Dog Creek, Pawnee Scouts arrived with information of an Arapahoe village encamped on the Tongue River. Following a night march with 250 soldiers and 80 Pawnee Scouts, Connor's force attacked Black Bear's Arapahoe village while the Indians were in the act of packing to move. The soldiers overran the camp and pushed the Indians 10 miles up Wolf Creek. The Indians fought a desperate rear guard action, protecting their families and eventually forcing the soldiers to withdraw. During this action, other soldiers burned the camp and its supplies, making it a funeral pyre for their dead. Indian casualties included 64 warriors and several hundred ponies. As the soldiers withdrew the Indians advanced, recapturing several of their ponies, and continued harassing the column for several days. Connor's column marched back to Fort Laramie following the establishment of Fort Connor on the Powder River near present-day Kaycee.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.

Killdeer Mountain Battlefield State Historic Site [ND]

Description

This site commemorates a battle fought on July 28, 1864, between troops commanded by General Alfred Sully and Sioux Indians. Sully's 2,200 troops, with the aid of artillery batteries, scattered the encamped village reported to contain 6,000 warriors, with losses of 5 soldiers and perhaps 100–150 Indians. There is a marker on the site.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.