Fort Thompson Mounds
National Historic Landmark

Fort Thompson Mounds

Fort Thompson, Buffalo County, South Dakota
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
66000711

About this property

The Fort Thompson Mounds are a complex of ancient archaeological sites in Buffalo County, South Dakota, near Fort Thompson and within the Crow Creek Reservation. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964 by the US Department of Interior, the mound complex extends for a distance of about 6 miles (9.7 km) along the east bank of the Missouri River. It is one of the largest known complex of burial mounds in the Plains region north of Kansas. One of the sites excavated in the 1950s was radiocarbon dated to c. 2450 BCE, showing nearly 5,000 years of indigenous human settlement. The mounds are believed to have been constructed in the Plains-Woodland period, beginning c. 800 CE.

Location

Fort Thompson, Buffalo County, South Dakota

Categories

PREHISTORIC
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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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 Fort Thompson Mounds listed on the National Register?

Fort Thompson Mounds was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Fort Thompson Mounds?

Fort Thompson Mounds is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Fort Thompson Mounds a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Fort Thompson Mounds has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Fort Thompson Mounds?

The period of significance for Fort Thompson Mounds is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Fort Thompson Mounds?

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 Fort Thompson Mounds will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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