North Dakota has been home to many Native American tribes. The Fort Clark Trading Post State Historic Site is an archeological proof to the existence of these early settlers such as Mandan and Arikara people. Located eight miles west of the nearest city, Washburn, Fort Clark was once a bustling settlement and commercial center.

In 1822, the Mandan tribe founded a community on the bluffs of the Missouri River. In 1830, the American Fur Company built Fort Clark Trading Post near the village. The village became an economic center but in 1837, a smallpox plague wiped out almost all the Mandan people. In 1838, the nearby Arikara tribe relocated to the abandoned village. However, another disease outbreak occurred in 1850s and the fort was abandoned for good.

Several artifacts and ruins from the village still exist up to this day. Fort Clark was added to the National Register o Historic Places and is open for academic and casual tours.