Pierre and Fort Pierre

From prairie to river's edge, the Pierre and Fort Pierre area resounds with historical adventure. Visited in 1743 by French explorers-the Verendrye brothers-and by Lewis and Clark in 1804, Fort Pierre was established as a significant fur trading post in 1817 and served briefly as a military fort in 1855. The decaying port settlement was revived during the Black Hills gold rush of 1875, outfitting bull trains. For over a decade, it bustled with freighting activity and stagecoach travel on th...