Dakota Territory — 1861 to 1890
Welcome to the Territory
You’ve come a long way to reach this country.
Every road here leads to someone worth meeting.
What would you like to explore first?
What’s happening today
Storms make neighbors important.
- Wagons, chores, and small errands keep the days full.
- Someone’s always headed somewhere — and someone’s always arriving.
- Pick a path above, and you’ll see who’s busiest.
How to talk here
Carolyn: Ask as you would a neighbor. They’ll answer from their own lives.
Harold: Everyone here lives in the Territory years — no modern talk, just the world as it is.
Tip: short questions get the best answers.
Meet the Friends
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Territory Historians
Have a specific historical question — places, time periods, or why things were done a certain way? Visit Harold and Carolyn for deeper context on life in Dakota Territory.
Visit the Historians →WELCOME - HOW TO BEGIN!
- Thank you for visiting. This is a living Dakota Territory where you can speak with people of the 1860s through the 1880s and learn daily life through their own voices.
- The Friends, are the heartbeat of the Territory. Each one speaks from lived experience—ranching, river travel, freighting, farming, medicine, gold, railroads, and more.
- The Historians, are here to help you get oriented and share historical facts.
- How to visit: choose one of the FRIENDS or the HISTORIANS, view their page, click BEGIN VISIT and speak naturally.
- Each one enjoys talking with you as a friend would. Ask them about anything from their life in the Dakota Territory.
- You can interrupt them anytime, hover over a picture to pause it and END VISIT to move on.