'Capital in Farm Country' Walking Tour

The “Capital in Farm Country” historic walking tour of downtown Bismarck will be held Sunday, Aug. 9, at 11 a.m. This free tour begins at Camp Hancock State Historic Site, 101 E. Main Street, and ends at the Former Governors' Mansion State Historic Site, 320 E. Ave. B., just in time for their annual Ice Cream Social. The tour will include about a mile of walking and last about an hour and a half.

 Now in its 12th year, the walking tour illustrates how today’s Bismarck has been a capital in farm country for 700 years, with the unbroken agricultural heritage stretching back to the early Mandans, Hidatsas, and Arikaras. The tour winds past historic downtown locations including Bloody Fourth, meeting points of the Nonpartisan League, the old Northern Pacific Railway Depot, the Patterson Building, the Oscar H. Will & Company seed house, and more.

 “The ‘Capital in Farm Country’ program explores Bismarck’s evolution from a rough-and-tumble frontier town into the thriving capital of North Dakota,” says Interpretive

Coordinator Bethany Schatz of the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn. “Attendees will discover how the railroad, agriculture, and state government all played a role in building the community and identity of North Dakota’s capital city.”

 For more information, contact Interpretive Coordinator Bethany Schatz, 701.462.8535 or [email protected]. Camp Hancock and the Former Governors' Mansion are historic sites managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. The Camp Hancock grounds with outdoor interpretive signs are open year-round. Buildings are open by appointment. The Former Governors' Mansion site is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 1. Find upcoming events sponsored by the State Historical Society at history.nd.gov/events or call 701.328.2666.