Mar 26, 2005 - 23:16:37 CST
Ask residents of Bismarck or Mandan to identify Crying Hill, and without hesitation most will correctly point to the highly visible hill along the interstate in east Mandan.The word "MaNDan," spelled in large, white letters near the top of the east side, serves as a greeting for visitors. Crying Hill is a site of historical religious significance for American Indians. The hill has received publicity lately, as it was posted for sale and purchased with an eye toward making it available for public use.
Ask residents to identify another hill in Mandan that holds historical significance for American Indians, and you're likely to receive a lot of blank stares.
Well, there's another historically significant hill in the line of river bluffs that run through the city -- Fortification Hill. It's just west of Sixth Avenue Northeast as it climbs from the Heart River plain.
This small, bare knob, looking neglected and mostly forgotten, seems more a hindrance to development than a site worthy of preservation. A recent effort by the Mandan City Commission to preserve and interpret the significance of Fortification Hill failed -- for the time.
Among the few Mandan residents who have taken note of this hill in their midst is Marlene Pulkrabek.
"I was having lunch at McDonald's recently and happened to glance out the window at that hill just up the street," Pulkrabek said, "and thought there's got to be a good way to use that land."
Centuries ago, Indians may have looked at the hill with the same thought in mind. And, they may have taken action. There's a reasonable possibility that Fortification Hill was considered by the Indian residents of Scattered Village, lying just below the hill to the south, as a potential place of refuge, should their village come under attack.
Tracy Potter, president of the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation, said, "Who used the hill historically, when, and how is speculation,"
Archaeologists George F. Will and Thad. C. Hecker conducted a study of this hill and published their findings in 1944. They noted that the steep hill had a ditch with bastions and concluded that the site was intended as a fort for the village. They concluded that fortification was under construction at the time of Mandan or Hidatsa occupation of nearby Scattered Village and the surrounding villages along the Heart River. They found no evidence of a palisade, however, and concluded that the site was abandoned before it was completed.
A 1998 aerial photograph of Mandan, on display at the State Historical Society Museum, clearly shows the remains of a ditch across the west end of the hilltop.
"It's an inviting theory," Potter said. "The name of the village below, Scattered Village, also called Large and Scattered Village, suggests that this village was simply too large to fortify. Perhaps the intention was that, when under siege, residents would retreat to the fortified hilltop for safety."
Fern Swenson, division director of Historic Preservation of the State Historical Society, said, "A current day study using modern archaeology techniques would help provide an answer. If we found items dating from the same time that nearby villages were known to have been occupied, we'd better understand when and, perhaps how, the site was used."
Scattered Village received publicity in 1998, when artifacts of this prehistoric settlement were unearthed during the First Street improvement project of Mandan. Artifacts from that dig are being developed into a series of professional displays that will open at the Mandan Public Library sometime in May.
There's been discussion lately between the current landowners of the hill, the Wetzstein family, and the city of Mandan over the potential purchase and preservation of this site. The city of Mandan had a three-part preliminary plan of development for a walking history trail between Fortification Hill and Crying Hill, with a connecting pathway along the eventual extension of Division Street.
The city wanted a deal with Mike, Buck and Duke Wetzstein that would preserve Fortification Hill and take care of right of way for Division Street.
The brothers declined the city's offer to buy the hill.
The city had been working with the following agencies on the project: Bismarck State College, the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation, Five Nations Art and Museum, and local residents. Funding had been secured through grants from the National Park Service, the North Dakota Department of Transportation, and through a matching grant by the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department.
Preliminary plans for the development of Fortification Hill had included an asphalt, multi-use trail, approximately 0.7 miles long, along the circumference of the bluff. This minimal impact trail would be open for walking, biking, in-line skating, skate boarding, cross-country skiing and general outdoor use. From the hilltop, visitors would have an unimpeded view of the Missouri River valley below. At least one interpretive sign would help explain the site's historical significance for American Indian culture.
Now the city's back to square one.
Lynn wrote on Jun 13, 2008 2:01 PM:
Robyn Pepion wrote on Nov 28, 2007 11:37 AM:
Rebecca Dorval wrote on Jun 2, 2007 7:52 PM:
Illinois Guy wrote on Feb 7, 2007 10:25 AM:
kevin wrote on Jan 25, 2007 3:33 AM:
Online Editor wrote on Dec 19, 2006 9:01 PM:
what's up with the comments wrote on Dec 19, 2006 6:09 PM:
Elizabeth wrote on Dec 19, 2006 12:14 PM:
Carmens Classmate wrote on Dec 19, 2006 8:39 AM:
Arlene wrote on Oct 10, 2006 9:26 AM:
waren e.z.o wrote on Oct 3, 2006 1:30 AM:
yo wrote on Jul 29, 2006 4:24 PM:
Kent wrote on Jul 29, 2006 2:26 PM:
Rebecca Dorval wrote on Jun 9, 2006 11:04 AM:
Debbie wrote on May 11, 2006 9:36 AM:
Jordan DeLong wrote on Apr 21, 2006 12:24 PM:
MARIA MONTOYA wrote on Apr 16, 2006 2:49 PM:
Comments are reviewed for taste, tone and language before posting.
Some comments may be used in the Tribune's print edition.
We value and respect your privacy, but The Bismarck Tribune might
disclose certain information to governmental entities if served with subpoena.