Bismarck

Bismarck (pop. 83,831), capital of North Dakota and seat of Burleigh County, on the Missouri River. In the mid-19th century, the original settlement was a busy river port and fortified center for the region. It had a brief boom as a supply depot for the Black Hills gold rush of the 1870s, and was the western terminus of the Pacific Railroad until 1879. The city became territorial capital in 1883, and in 1933, its skyscraper capitol was completed. There are rich lignite and petroleum deposits in the vicinity. Bismarck is also a market for grain and livestock.

See also: North Dakota.