A 19th century episode at Fort Clark marks just one early chapter in Native American public health history a story that’s been marred for centuries by poor health outcomes that have outpaced the rest of the country. Native Americans have played quiet roles throughout American medical history, though rarely as healthy survivors.
Life was not easy at the Fort Clark fur trading post back in the 1830s. The fort was located on the Missouri river near present-day Washburn and it was a major economic center. The post manager, Francis Chardon, kept a journal, describing the cold weather, the fur trade, tribal activities, and the devastating smallpox epidemic. He also kept a regular tally of how many rats he had killed!
Perhaps the disease outbreak in North Dakota’s history was the smallpox epidemic that all but destroyed the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara peoples. In June of 1837, infected passengers aboard a steamboat spread the deadly virus up and down the Missouri River.