“Yeah, it’s Little Casino. That was her nickname. One of the earliest brothel madams in Dakota Territory, specifically in Bismarck, Dakota Territory. Her final resting place is a cemetery near Wilton, North Dakota.” The question often follows, “How do you get there?” This short blog post is directions to that spot. So when asked I can find this blog and just text it along for directions. This post isn’t about who Elizabeth was, as in biography. That’s for other posts. Now, on to the headstone in the cemetery.

Heading into Wilton from the north or south on North Dakota Highway 83, turn west onto 318th Avenue NW/Burleigh Road from Highway 83. You are looking for Riverview Cemetery. It’s only about 1/4 mile west on 318th Avenue NW. Just to the north you’ll see a square perimeter of conifers. By now you’ll notice the headstones, too. Yes, that’s it. Below is a pic of the west facing entrance to Riverview Cemetery, along with a little green arrow in the photo. I added this when I was texting to some others the location of McClelland’s headstone.

Boom. Now you have it. Also, at least a couple regional historians have discussed one of the world’s oldest professions in the context of Dakota Territory and the Fargo-Moorhead area. So you should pick these two titles up as well. Carroll Engelhardt, Gateway to the Northern Plains: Railroads and the Birth of Fargo and Moorhead (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007) and Kristen R. Fellows, Angela J. Smith and Anna M. Munns (editors) Historical Sex Work: New Contributions from History and Archaeology (University Press of Florida, 2020).

Inscription at bottom of McClelland’s headstone: “Ye without sin cast the first stone…”