'Capital in Farm Country' Walking Tour

The “Capital in Farm Country” historic walking tour of downtown Bismarck will be held on Saturday, Aug. 23, 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. It will include about a mile of walking and last about an hour and a half.

Now in its 11th 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 Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Indian nations. 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 highlights Bismarck’s remarkable transformation from a frontier settlement into a modern capital city,” says Interpretive Coordinator Ashli Laducer of the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in Washburn. “It’s a journey through time that shows how railroads, agriculture, and government helped shape the heart of North Dakota.”

For more information, contact Ashli Laducer, 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.