Whitestone Hill State Historic Site

Whitestone Hill State Historic Site, located 23 miles southeast of Kulm, Dickey County, marks the scene of the fiercest clash between Indians and white soldiers in North Dakota. On September 3, 1863, General Alfred Sully's troops attacked a tipi camp of Yanktonai, some Dakota, Hunkpapa Lakota, and Blackfeet (Sihasapa Lakota), as part of a military mission to punish participants of the Dakota Conflict of 1862. Many Indian men, women, and children died or were captured. Military casualties were comparatively light. The Indians also suffered the destruction of virtually all of their property, leaving them nearly destitute for the coming winter.

There are two monuments, one honoring the Indian dead and a second commemorating the soldiers who died in the battle. There are now 14 interpretive panels that give a detailed overview of what happened at Whitestone in 1863 and its reverberations. A marker also recognizes two early settlers, Tom and Mary Shimmin. A fieldstone shelter beside the trail provides a resting point overlooking part of the battlefield and a freshwater lake. Nearby is a picnic area with a shelter, table, pit toilets, and a parking lot. The site is open year round, but there is no snow removal service.

**The State Historical Society of North Dakota has received top honors in the 2024 Interpretive Media Awards from the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), securing first place in the “Difficult Topics” category. This recognition highlights the Society’s successful reexamination of the Whitestone Hill State Historic Site. Previously regarded only as a battlefield, Whitestone Hill is now presented as a place of remembrance for the victims of a massacre in 1863, carried out by Gen. Alfred Sully’s forces. The project involved replacing a single interpretive sign with 15 new panels, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the tragic event. These panels were informed by a variety of sources, including primary documents, oral histories, and contemporary research. Learn more here.