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All the United States South Dakota Fort Pierre Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye Monument

Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye Monument

A monument to the forgotten French explorers and their landmark expedition.

Fort Pierre, South Dakota

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meltingknight
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The Verendrye Monument.   Magicpiano/cc by-sa 4.0
The Verendrye Monument.   Magicpiano/cc by-sa 4.0
The Verendrye Monument.   Magicpiano/cc by-sa 4.0
Close up of the monument.   Naawada2016/cc by-sa 4.0
The Verendryes.   Arthur H. Hider/public domain
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  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
View of the town from the site   michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Sixty years before Lewis and Clark, there were the Vérendryes.

Born in 1685, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye started exploring the Americas fairly late in his life. From 1731 to 1737, he set up trading posts around what would be the Canadian-American border. In 1738, he and his son Francois went to North Dakota, building forts along the way, furthering France's reach.

In 1742, two of his sons, Louis-Joseph and Francois, started making their way to the Missouri River. It's possible they were the first Europeans to see the Rocky Mountains. In 1743, in Arikara territory, they put down a lead plate that declared French sovereignty over the surrounding area. At the time, the mission seemed like a failure because they didn't find the Northwest Passage.

In 1913, children were playing when they saw something black poke out of the ground. They tugged it out and almost got it melted down in a print shop when a historian was called. He saved the plate and got it to the South Dakota State Historical Society, where it still lies today.

A monument was built in 1933 over the site where the plate was found. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991. It's a reminder of the pioneering Frenchmen that the world forgot.

Related Tags

Exploration Monuments History Lewis And Clark Colonial America Colonialism

Know Before You Go

The monument is located at the top of a hill in the town of Fort Pierre. From Second Avenue, turn right on Verendrye Drive and it is off to the left. The original plate that was buried here is now on display at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

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meltingknight

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Meg, michaelnhartman

  • Meg
  • michaelnhartman

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December 11, 2018

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Sources
  • https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/pierre_fortpierre/verendrye_site_pierre.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verendrye_National_Monument
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verendrye_Site
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye Monument
Verendrye Dr
Fort Pierre, South Dakota
United States
44.359201, -100.390686
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Nearby Places

The Trail of Governors

Pierre, South Dakota

miles away

Capa Ghost Town

Capa, South Dakota

miles away

Okaton Ghost Town

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Dakota

South Dakota

United States

Places 59
Stories 7

Nearby Places

The Trail of Governors

Pierre, South Dakota

miles away

Capa Ghost Town

Capa, South Dakota

miles away

Okaton Ghost Town

Murdo, South Dakota

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of South Dakota

South Dakota

United States

Places 59
Stories 7

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