Fort Mandan was the name of the encampment at which the Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered in 1804-1805. The encampment was located on the Missouri River approximately twelve miles from Washburn, North Dakota, though the precise location is not known for certain and may be under the nearby river.
The fort was built of cottonwood lumber cut from the riverbanks. It was triangular in shape, with high walls on all sides and a gate facing the riverbank. Storage rooms provided a safe place to keep their supplies. The Corps of Discovery started the fort on November 2, 1804, and remained in the area until April 7, 1805. They built the fort slightly down river from the five villages of the Mandan and Hidatsa nations.
The winter was very cold with temperatures sometimes dipping to minus 43 degrees Fahrenheit, but the fort provided some protection from the elements. As it was, quite a few men of the expedition suffered frostbite.
Read more about Fort Mandan: Diplomacy, Preparations For The Spring, Sacagawea, After 1805
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