National Register of Historic Places

Double Ditch State Historic Site

Bismarck, Burleigh County, North Dakota
Listed
January 29, 1979
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
79001769

About this property

Double Ditch, also known as the Double Ditch State Historic Site, Burgois Site, 32BL8, Bourgois Site, and Double Ditch Earth Lodge Village Site, is an archaeological site located on the east bank of the Missouri River north of Bismarck, North Dakota, United States. It is named for the two visible trenches that once served as fortifications for the village, but archaeologists found a further two ditches outside these indicating that the population was originally larger. The site was the location of a Mandan Native American earth lodge village from approximately 1450A.D. to 1785 A.D. It was abandoned after the 1775–1782 North American smallpox epidemic. The site includes remains of earth lodges, midden mounds, and fortification ditches. It is managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The archeological site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Also at the location are Depression Era Work Relief Construction Features at Double Ditch Indian Village Site State Historic Site, which were separately listed on the National Register in 2014.

Location

Bismarck, Burleigh County, North Dakota

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINAL
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Double Ditch State Historic Site

This page lists Double Ditch State Historic Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Double Ditch State Historic Site listed on the National Register?

Double Ditch State Historic Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 29, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Double Ditch State Historic Site?

Double Ditch State Historic Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Double Ditch State Historic Site?

The period of significance for Double Ditch State Historic Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Double Ditch State Historic Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Double Ditch State Historic Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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