Pembina in Pembina County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Dumoulin Church
North Dakota History
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, Sept 2023
1. Dumoulin Church Marker
The first church in the northwest stood about three hundred feet east of this marker. It was founded in 1818 by Father Joseph Dumoulin, along with a school and cemetery. The site was abandoned after the boundary survey and was not used until 1848.
Father Belcour, North Dakota's pioneer priest rebuilt the Mission which stood until 1863 when it was destroyed by cannon fire from Hatch's Battalion. The mission was later transferred to Pembina.
The cemetery was not moved; and here where they were buried hidden by the years of progress, still lie the remains of North Dakota's earliest pioneers.
Erected 1963 by North Dakota State Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1848.
Location. 48° 59.329′ N, 97° 14.739′ W. Marker is in Pembina, North Dakota, in Pembina County. It is on Interstate 29, on the right when traveling north. Located on a pull off on the east side of northbound I-29 within sight of the US-Canada border. Touch
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Dakota’s Red River Valley and in the Turtle Mountains. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 19 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Walter Welford (approx. 1.2 miles away); Votes For Women (approx. 1.2 miles away); Pembina - Emerson Area (approx. 1.2 miles away in Canada); Pembina State Park (approx. 2.6 kilometers away); Emerson Court House and Town Hall (approx. 3 kilometers away in Canada); Fort Dufferin (approx. 5.6 kilometers away in Canada); First Railway in Western Canada / Le Premier Chemin de Fer de L'Ouest du Canada (approx. 18.3 kilometers away in Canada); The Fish (approx. 18.3 kilometers away in Canada). Touch for a list
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, Sept 2023
2. Dumoulin Church Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. The March West / La Marche Vers L'ouest (was approx. 5.6 kilometers away in Canada but has been permanently removed).
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, Sept 2023
3. Dumoulin Church Marker
The 1848 Dumoulin Mission cemetery lies just east of I 29
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 11, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 148 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 11, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
