10/10/2021 0 Comments Dignity, a Native American Tribute. She stands over the Missouri River valley, high atop a bluff, watching as travelers make their way across South Dakota, like modern-day explorers. Dignity: Of Earth and Sky was created as a tribute to the Lakota and Dakota (Sioux) tribes that call South Dakota home. But, the 50-foot sculpture means something different to almost anyone who has witnessed her beauty in person.
Located at the South Dakota welcome center between exits 263 and 265 on Interstate 90 near Chamberlain, the sculpture – a Native American woman in a two-hide dress common among Plains tribes holding a star quilt behind her – annually attracts thousands of visitors. The majestic statue has been part of the state’s landscape since 2016. Read the entire story in the latest edition of Living Here magazine. Order yours today! 888-673-1081
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10/10/2021 0 Comments Fort Randall Dam, An earthen marvel. John Forsyth and Phil Verzani made the long trip to Lake Andes, South Dakota, from Niobrara, Nebraska, via the Wheeler Bridge on Wednesday, July 11, 1946, to attend a very important meeting – making plans for the ground breaking celebration to officially begin construction of the Fort Randall Dam. As a result of this meeting, over six thousand people gathered for the Ground Breaking Ceremony on July 30, 1946. Missouri River Division Engineer Brigadier General Lewis A. Pick had the honor of touching off the dynamite explosion to begin the construction of the Fort Randall Dam.
One of the most memorable sounds in the coming years was the blasting of chalk rock throughout the night. “Our family lived on a ranch in Nebraska near the South Dakota border and we could hear the blasting. Our dog was afraid of thunder and the sounds of the explosions ruined her,” says Ray Connot of Spencer. Read the entire story in the latest edition of Living Here magazine. Order yours today! 888-673-1081 Our cemeteries are the repository of history. The Dakota City Cemetery in Dakota City is considered by many to be the oldest continuously operated cemetery in Nebraska with its first documented burial in 1856. Its consecrated grounds are full of the early area pioneers who built the foundation of the area. Under every tombstone, or below the green grass of the unmarked grave there lies a story. In one of those unmarked spots rests the earthly remains of Sophronia Hunt, a female soldier in the Civil War.
Unmarked that is, until local historian Shirley Sides came along. Sides is from Dakota City, well versed in the stories of a number of the pioneers buried in the cemetery. “Sophronia carried a gun, dressed as a man, and went to war alongside her husband, keeping her gender a secret for over a month.” Sides continued, “We do not know how it was discovered that she was not a male, but we do know from records that she was reported by Iowa 29th Infantry Captain George Bacon.” Since they were not able to officially enlist, many women simply attached themselves to a unit with no one the wiser. Sophronia had no enlistment documentation, but merely presented herself along with brand new husband James Smith and was accepted. Most women had no trouble keeping their gender a secret. Read the entire story in the latest edition of Living Here magazine. Order yours today! 888-673-1081 The path to creating a museum is seldom without obstacles, hurdles, and ample detours. Yankton County’s Mead Cultural Education Center is no exception. The road that finally led to the opening of this new facility held a wealth of twists and turns since its earliest beginnings in 1861.
At that time, Yankton was Dakota Territory’s capitol city. In 1861 a local group attempted to organize a museum, which instead evolved into the Old Settlers Association of Dakota Territory. That newly formed organization was housed in Yankton’s state capitol building. Read the entire story in the latest edition of Living Here magazine. Order yours today! 888-673-1081 Carrying on a tradition started with his father and uncle when they opened the Tooley Drug Company, Dick Tooley Jr. stops a customer, holds her hand and asks if she found everything she needed during her visit.
“Of course,” she says. “You’re having a birthday, I hear?” Tooley asked. It’s this type of customer service that has helped keep Tooley Drug and Home Care open for almost 95 years. Since the day brothers Frank and Alfred “Dick” Tooley opened their small pharmacy in May 1928, knowing their customers and families has been a key component for business, said Dick Tooley Jr., who has worked at the pharmacy since 1958, and has owned it since 1971. Read the entire story in the latest edition of Living Here magazine. Order yours today! 888-673-1081 10/10/2021 0 Comments Great Outdoorsman, Gary Howey Gary Howey, of Hartington, Nebraska recently semi-retired from a career that many people only get to enjoy on weekends or vacations. He was able to do what most only dream about by turning his passion for the outdoors into multiple business ventures with his family. Along the way he experienced many outdoor adventures and made lifelong friendships that he treasures.
Blessed with an un-assuming personality and quick sense of humor, Howey is one of those people you just like to be around. “Quick, what did the fish swimming up river say when he ran into a wall? Dam!” Read the entire story in the latest edition of Living Here magazine. Order yours today! 888-673-1081 |