History of Bismarck, North Dakota real impetus for growth. In 1883, Bismarck became the capital of the Dakota Territory and, in 1889, of the state of North Dakota. The first well-documented inhabitants of what is now Bismarck were the Mandan Nation. The remains of Chief Looking's Village, one of the Mandan towns, is now a park within the city limits, while another six to eight town sites, including On-a-Slant Village, Large-and-Scattered Village, and Double Ditch Village, made up the homeland of the Mandan Nation from about the mid-1500s to the late 1700s and surround present-day Bismarck for a few miles to the north and south.
Interstate 29 in North Dakota Interstate 29 in North Dakota Interstate 29 (I-29) in the U.S. state of North Dakota runs from the state's southern border with South Dakota near Hankinson to the Canadian border just north of Pembina. The highway runs concurrently twice with U.S. Route 81 (US 81). The first such overlap begins in Watertown, South Dakota, across the state line to Manvel. The other is from exit 203 to the Canadian border. The highway runs somewhat parallel to the Minnesota border to the east and passes through two major cities, Fargo and Grand Forks. I-29 enters North Dakota, with a speed limit