Fort Clark (5)

 (1831-1860) - An American Fur Company fur trading post established in 1831 by James Kipp in present day Mercer County, North Dakota. Named for William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame. Abandoned in 1860.

History
An American Fur Company fur trading post established in 1831 by James Kipp near the 1805 location of Lewis & Clark's Fort Mandan (1). The post was located among the Mandan villages along the Missouri River. In 1837 the riverboat St. Peter's brought smallpox to the post and the disease spread to the Mandan and other tribes along the river. The Mandan population dropped to about 100 from the original 1600 and a total of about 15,000 Indians died from the epidemic.

Other tribes replaced the Mandan in trading with the fort. Fort Clark became one of the main trading posts in the upper Missouri along with Fort Union and Fort Pierre. Fort Clark was abandoned in 1860 as the fur trade declined and trading companies consolidated.

Current Status
Fort Clark State Historic Site, Mercer County, North Dakota. No structures remain, numerous displays indicate the location of the village and fort structures.

Sources: Links:
 * , page 629-630
 * ,page 112-113
 * North American Forts - Fort Clark