What Is the De Morès Packing Plant?
This is the ruined smokestack and foundations of the De Morès packing plant!
What Makes It Historical?
The open range of North Dakota was probably the last place anyone expected to find a member of the French aristocracy, but the Marquis de Morès et de Montemaggiore arrived here with his wife, Medora, to launch a cattle empire on April 1, 1883! Buying up 15,000 acres of land and surrounding it with barbed wire, his idea was to graze cows on the “open” range and butcher them here instead of sending living cows east by train. He figured this would cut costs and keep the beef from losing fat on the journey!
The Marquis had a huge slaughterhouse, or abattoir, built here to kill and pack 150 cows per day to be shipped as far west as Helena and as far east as Chicago! Meanwhile, the town of Medora grew to have a population of 251 within a year. Everything seemed to be going great, but beef buyers in the east preferred corn-fed to grass-fed cows, and the Marquis lost in a price war with other packers.
After several accusations of murder, the Marquis and the Marquise left Medora to its devices and returned to Europe. The Marquis blamed his failure on “a Jewish plot” and would later get assassinated in Berresof, Algeria while trying to rally support for his anti-semitic and anti-British agenda!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the State Historical Society of North Dakota!
- Donate to the State Historical Society of North Dakota!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
201 E River Rd
Medora, ND 58645
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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