Writing Rock Township in Grenora in Divide County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Writing Rock State Historic Site
State Historical Society of North Dakota
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, 2014
1. Writing Rock State Historic Site Marker
Writing Rock State Historic Site fuels the imagination. Carved into two granite boulders at the site are figures that probably represent a mythological thunderbird. These stone carvings are called petroglyphs. Thunderbirds were sacred figures to Late Prehistoric Plains Indians, who believed they caused thunder and lightning. American Indian tradition says the petroglyphs could once predict the future. Outlines of the thunderbird, its wings extended and surrounded by other design motifs, appear on both boulders. The thunderbird image is very old, and its origin unknown. It exists on 2000-year-old bone and shell ornaments and pottery found on the northern plains. Other petroglyph sites found within 200 miles of Writing Rock show that this site was part of an ancient and established tradition. These glyphs are thought to be 300 to 1,000 years old but may be older. Contemporary Dakota (Sioux) and Assiniboine peoples still consider the Writing Rock site sacred. Some writers suggest that prehistoric Norse, Welsh, or Chinese explorers carved the petroglyphs, and others see the lines as forming maps. Most authorities
this page online
The smaller boulder, whose carving is illustrated to the right, was originally located about 200 feet southwest of the larger rock. American Indian legend says the smaller boulder lost its ability to predict the future when it was moved prior to 1919. The state acquired the site in 1936.
This thunderbird effigy, likely dating to the 1400, was produced from a local freshwater mussel shell during the Plains Village time period. Raptor, or bird, motifs occur in other media such as tipi covers, beaded goods, or pottery. Found in a village site south of Bismarck, North Dakota, this effigy is missing its tail.
Erected by State Historical Society of North Dakota.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.
Location. 48° 46.817′ N, 103° 51.571′ W. Marker is in Grenora, North Dakota, in Divide County. It is in Writing Rock Township. It is on 94th Street Northwest, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14405 94th St NW, Grenora ND 58845, United
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, 2014
2. Writing Rock State Historic Site and Marker
Regionally, this marker is in North Dakota’s Bakken Oil Patch. 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.
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, 2014
3. The Writing Rocks
Credits. This page was last revised on November 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 76 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 18, 2025, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
