Where the Bad River meets the Missouri lays Fort Pierre, a rural community whose quiet way of life belies its historical significance. Here, in 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition first met the Teton Sioux.
For many years the site of a trading post on the edge of a vast wilderness and a gateway to the American West, Fort Pierre was officially founded in 1832 by the American Fur Company, and took its name from the company’s officer, Pierre Chouteau. Today, it’s a town with just 3000 residents, a rural counterpart to the bustling capital just across the Missouri River.