Fort Totten State Historic Site, Military post museum in Fort Totten, North Dakota.
Fort Totten State Historic Site is a 19th-century military post with seventeen preserved brick buildings that tell the story of soldiers and schooling. The buildings sit on open grounds and show the layout of a former fort with its different functional areas.
The fort was established in 1867 to monitor tribal lands and protect trade routes near Devils Lake. After forty years of military use, the site shifted to educational purposes for a new population.
The school buildings show how students lived and worked here together, with classrooms, workshops, and dormitories arranged side by side. You can see where children studied and trained for trades, reflecting how education was combined with hands-on work.
The site is best explored on foot, since buildings are spread across the grounds and pathways connect them. Plan enough time to visit several buildings and see the exhibits housed in each.
In the 1930s, part of the site became a medical facility where sick children received treatment and schooling at the same time. This combined approach of healthcare and education was unusual for that period.
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