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.
U.S. Route 52 in North Dakota U.S. Route 52 in North Dakota U.S. Highway 52 (US 52) is a United States Numbered Highway in the U.S. state of North Dakota, which travels from the Canada–United States border east to the Red River at Fargo. The highway connects the cities of Minot and Fargo and travels concurrent with Interstate 94 (I-94) between Jamestown and the Minnesota state line. In North Dakota, US 52 continues from Saskatchewan Highway 39 from the Canada–United States border at North Portal, Saskatchewan and Portal, North Dakota to the Red River in Fargo, a distance of . US 52 passes through Burke, Ward,