Human remains found during construction near the North Dakota governor’s residence may be tied to one of Bismarck’s earliest cemeteries.
State officials say contractors found human remains, coffin hardware and fragments last month while working on a fence and driveway project on the Capitol grounds.
Michael Achterling of the North Dakota monitor reported in-depth on the findings today.
Archaeologists with the State Historical Society of North Dakota were called to the site. Ground-penetrating radar later identified nine additional areas that could indicate as many as 10 graves in the work zone.
Construction has stopped in the area where the remains were found, though other work on the project is continuing.
The North Dakota Monitor reports the site was once part of Bismarck’s first cemetery, used from 1873 to 1877. Many burials were later moved to St. Mary’s and Fairview cemeteries in the 1880s.
This is not the first time remains have been found in that part of the Capitol grounds. State records show 13 burials were found during trolley line construction in 1903, and five more were found during construction of the previous governor’s residence in 1959.
Governor Kelly Armstrong’s office says the governor wants the remains treated with care and respect. State officials are expected to take several weeks to determine the next steps.
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