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101 East Main Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58501
1- 5 pm, Friday - Sunday.
May 16th - September 15th.
Other times by appointment.
1909 Northern Pacific Locomotive
Bread of Life Church (oldest church in Bismarck)
Officers quarters (oldest building in Bismarck, 1872)
Site museum, featuring the exhibit "The Four Seasons at Camp Hancock."
Picnic area
Restroom (limited ADA and open hours only)
Ramps into both buildings
Tourist information
Bread of Life church available for weddings and recitals. Limited electrical, no heat or cooling. Pew sitting for approximately 80 people. $35.00 an hour. Maximum of 6 hours.
User Agreement PDF
User Guide PDF
Free admission, donations welcome.
For more information on the region call the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau: 1-800-767-3555.
United States Army Occupation (August 8, 1872 ‑ April 16, 1894)
Camp Hancock was the location of an infantry post from 1872 to 1877 and a quartermaster depot and signal office from 1877 to 1894. The post was originally named Camp Greeley in 1872 in honor of Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Times, liberal candidate for the presidency, and author of the saying "Go west, young man." On October 7, 1873, the post was renamed Camp Hancock after the commander of the Department of Dakota, George Winfield Hancock.
The purpose of the post was to protect supplies, equipment, and engineering crews of the Northern Pacific Railroad, as well as the citizens of Edwinton, which was renamed Bismarck in July 1873. By 1883 the post was also serving as a storage station for the U.S. Army quartermaster's supplies, which would be shipped, by rail, wagon, or steamboat, to posts along the river and farther west.
A Signal Corps "reporting station" was established at Camp Hancock in 1874. The primary mission of the Signal Corps was to transmit military messages; they also maintained records of the nation's weather patterns. With the fighting between the plains tribes and the military, for the most part under control, the last of the front‑line troops were withdrawn from Camp Hancock on April 12, 1877. The post continued to function as a quartermaster's depot and signal station, which required only a small staff of technical specialists.
Sketch of Signal Service Office
located at 213 First street.
Bismarck Tribune, May 7, 1880.
Address:
101 East Main Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58501
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Hours:
May 15th - September 16th
1 pm - 5 pm, Friday - Sunday.
Other times by appointment.
Contact Us:
phone: (701) 328-2666
fax: (701) 328-3710
email: histsoc@nd.gov
