HISTORY PAGES Established 1927 | Give the gift of History Today!

December 2017

Our Mission Working through education and advocacy to recognize, preserve, and revitalize the historic architectural, and cultural resources of Minnehaha County.

History Talks DEC 21: Prairie Patriarch Dr. Rosemary Erickson shares Holiday tales from her new book about growing up Norwegian American and carving out a life in the harsh wilderness of South Dakota.

JAN 18: Real Heroes… Behind the uniform. Behind the medals. Behind often stoic faces, lay the truly heroic stories of local SD Veterans. Local historian Rick Lingberg reveals the extra-ordinary feats of ordinary men who live among us.

Please Note: *Unless noted all History Talks are held every third Thursday at the Old Courthouse Museum, 200 W 6th Street at 7PM.

Contents December History Talk 1 Message from the Board 2 MCHS Info 2 Memberships/Donations 2 Minnehaha County Holiday Events 3 Save a Historic Home 3 AmazonSmile 4 Book Shop 4 MCHS Memberships 4

Prairie Patriarch: Tales of Growing up Norwegian

Dr. Rosemary Erickson’s new book, Prairie Patriarch, delivers a compelling look at her Norwegian family in South Dakota. Her father, Dewey Erickson, placed in the lead role, unveils life on the plains for families who dealt with the vagaries of weather, deaths of children, close knit communities, and the dissolution of a way of life as the 20th century closed.

You’ll be captivated with the intricacies of these strong-willed, stoic people who had no access to modern mental health, penicillin and often, no running water or electricity available. As the sixth son of twelve children, Dewey could have resigned himself to always being overlooked, but he refused to let that be his fate.

He survived, as he watched a number of his brothers and sisters die of childhood diseases and conditions that could have been prevented with timely surgery. His wife, Opel, a “town girl” was swept into being a farm wife and found her deep love with Dewey made it all worthwhile.

Famous for dressing well—not like a farmer—Dewey always procured the latest inventions for his wife and children. He owned one of the

first Model T automobiles and taught his kids to steer by age 6; he hooked up the radio set to a tractor battery and in so many ways, was a dedicated free thinker.

Composed of entries from Rosemary’s mothers diary, along with occasional prose by the author, the book captures a family love story filled with eye-watering emotion. Anyone who is not totally in love with Dewey and Opel by the time little Rosie is born, is missing a.

In this celebration of her father’s legacy, Erickson shows how Dewey carved a life for himself on the harsh prairie of South Dakota, enduring hardship after hardship and, in doing so, taught his daughter about perseverance and strength, inspiring her to follow her passions.

Join us Thursday, December 21 at 7PM for this engaging History Talk. Rosemary will read excepts from her book and, as always there will be a Q&A session, along with time to share your own memories with the group. We invite you to bring your Grandchildren to experience this wild look back at life, as it once existed.

Books will be available for purchase that evening and the author will be on hand to sign copies after the reading. Hope to see you there!

Dewey & Opal Erickson in their newly-remodeled

Letter from the Board As we approach the darkest time of year and

move ever closer to the Winter Solstice, the world outside begins to slow. Fires are lit. Cozy blankets are tucked beneath toes. Hot chocolate warms hand and bellies. It’s in moments such as these we are prone to reflect and reminisce, remembering special people, or moments in our lives, that influenced us and stayed with us over the years.

I recently served at a church in Sinai, SD while the pastor was on holiday. I’d never been in the little town near Brookings, but remembered that as a young woman, my mother had taught in the high school for one year during the 1930s. I shared this fact with the congregation and, the following week, a very old man using a walker approached me after the service. He asked my mother’s maiden name. When I told him, “Smemoe”, he looked at me with his faded blue, 100-year-old eyes, and said with a wry smile, “Miss Smemoe" was my teacher in 1932.” Eighty-five years later, he still remembered her and the Latin class she taught!

And as Ken Alvine recently reminisced, his relatives near Madison SD were once dealers in work horses. Some of us are old enough to remember farmers who used work horses for field work. Just as we see giant farm machinery dealers today, with its array of huge tractors, combines, and other equipment—before the age of machines—it was work horses who pulled wagons, hayracks, and did all the farm work, in obedient cooperation with the farmers and their hired hands.

This month, Rosemary Erickson, will be sharing many of her family stories and memories at our December History Talk. Her recollections have been recently published in a memoir called Prairie Patriarch, full of rousing tales about growing up Norwegian American on the harsh prairie landscape.

Sensing a pattern here? Beginning in January, we like to invite you, our members, to take a moment and share a personal memory or experience from your past with us. Write it down, mail it to us, send it to us in an email, or simply come to one of our monthly History Talks and share your memories with the group. We’d be delighted!

It need not be long-winded; it may just be a short recollection of something or someone in your life whose narrative or personality affected your own history or life’s path.

As Celia Benson once said to me, “We are the Keepers of the Meaning.” It’s we who ARE history and yet, often do not share it with others. By telling something from our own story we can enrich one another. ~Richard Foster,Director

Memberships THANK YOU! to the following new and renewing members of the MCHS since November 2017. New Individual Members: Robert Thury Renewed Individual Members: Wayne Fanebust Randy Maas Ron Robinson Renewed Household Members: Richard & Edna Haase Vincent & Nancy Keenan Janelle Lenser & Marsha Vickland Renewed Lifetime Members: Walt Leyse Betty Pfeifle

Executive Board Officers

Randy Maas, President Sioux Falls randy@minnehahahistory.org Jill Roozenboom, Vice President Brandon jill@minnehahahistory.org Open Position2nd Vice President Jerry Kerkhove, Treasurer Brandon jerry@minnehahahistory.org Jennifer Hoesing, Secretary Sioux Falls jennifer@minnehahahistory.org Ralph Lawrence, Archivist Sioux Falls ralph@minnehahahistory.org

Directors Jim Carlson, President Emeritus Zach DeBoer, Sioux Falls Wayne Fanebust, Sioux Falls Richard Foster, Sioux Falls Ryan Tellberg, Colton Trevor Van Conant, Sioux Falls

Board of Directors Meeting Second Thursday of Each Month Old Courthouse Museum Law Library - Second Floor @ 11:30AM

MCHS Contact Information 200 West Sixth Street Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104 T: (605) 951-9200 E: info@minnehahahistory.org W: www.minnehahahistory.org

DECEMBER COOKIE SHARE REMINDER…

Our annual MCHS cookie share is coming SOON!

Don’t forget to bring your favorite holiday treat to share at the December 21st History Talk.

2

make this holiday

historic! What can you give the person who seems to have everything and needs nothing??

For something completely unique, give the gift of history with a MCHS membership. Simply fill out a new membership form and mail it to us. We’ll send a card to the recipient.

A Sioux Falls developer wants to demolish a historic home built in 1891 that’s fallen into disrepair. It's location in the Cathedral Historic District, however, could hopefully put those plans in jeopardy.

Advantage Investments, Inc. purchased the 126-year-old, two-story house at 435 N. Spring Avenue about a year ago with the idea of razing the building and putting up multi-unit residential housing in its place.

“The existing home is in disrepair…” said David Shelton, a partner with Advantage Investments. “We’re not going to put residents back into the property.” Because the home sits in the Cathedral Historic District and is a contributing building to the neighborhood earning that designation in the 1970s, the Sioux Falls Board of Historic Preservation will first have to sign off on a demolition permit.

Shelton appeared in front of the board where a vote was delayed until December 13 so more documentation of the property’s condition can be compiled.

Cathedral Hill neighbors spoke out against his plans, and lobbied the board to preserve the house and the neighborhood’s character. Since being designated a Historic District in 1974, more than 20 homes in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood have been demolished. Demolishing yet another historic home should be avoided if at all possible, said neighbor and

MCHS member Diane Olson, who lives a few blocks away on Duluth Avenue.

“We want to maintain our historical integrity,” she said. “We don’t want them destroyed. We want them brought back to life.”

The Board of Preservation will revisit the demolition application at its Dec. 13 meeting. For more info email Gail Cain at gailacain@msn.com.

RENNER — Christmas Cookie Craft/Vendor FairDecember 2: Pick out your favorite Christmas cookies and check out lots of homemade craft vendors at the Renner Lutheran Church craft fair. Also known as Nidaros Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church, the historic church is the oldest church in operation in Minnehaha County. (9AM-12 Noon) DELL RAPIDS — Christmas at the DellsDecember 2 & 3: The Dell Rapids Museum, housed in the 1902 Dieson Department Store building, celebrates Christmas at the Dells. Enjoy all the decorated Christmas trees, homemade gingerbread houses and holiday displays, along with refreshments. Activities include:

Dec 2 — 9:30AM-8PM - Piano recitals, bake & gift sale, & Silent Auction 9:30AM-3:30PM - Christmas Tea ($6/ea. Call 929-9524 for reservations.) 6:30PM - Parade of Lights (Downtown) 7PM-8PM - Santa’s Arrival at the Museum Dec 3 — 12PM-9PM - Museum Exhibits Open/Visit Santa 1PM-4PM - Tour of Homes 5PM-7PM - Christmas Reception w/Kuper Family Music ($10/ea. = Apps & 2 drinks) 7PM - Christmas Auction

HARTFORD — Hometown ChristmasDecember 3: The 6th annual Hartford Hometown Christmas brings family, friends and neighbors together for a day of fun and celebration. Activities include breakfast at the fire hall, kids carnival, Christmas vendor show, Christmas meals, photos with Santa, gingerbread house contest, live nativity, Jingle Bell run & family fun walk, Christmas tree lighting, parade of lights, and fireworks. (7:30AM-7:30PM)

CROOKS — Old World Christmas MarketDecember 9: Crooks Community Center is hosting its inaugural Old World Christmas Market to benefit the Crooks and Lyon's Fire Depts. (9AM-9PM) . Activities include: All Day - Craft Vendors. 10AM-Noon Santa Visit. 2PM-4PM - Sr. Coffee & Cookies w/caroling. 6PM-9PM - Wine & Cheese Tasting ($15/ea. $25/couple) GARRETSON — Hometown ChristmasDecember 9: Visit the Garretson Heritage Museum (609 N Main Ave) during Garretson's Hometown Christmas from 10am - 3pm. Scheduled events include: 11am: Krumkake demonstration (w/ samples) 1pm: Reading w/ Ms. Sharon (preschool age) 2pm: Reading w/ Ms. Sharon (2nd grade+) Enjoy free cider, coffee, donut holes, and popcorn. Special prizes and book sale.s $5 off all pottery. Garretson Centennial books $1. Garretson Quasquicentennial books $5. Free admission to museum exhibits. Bring the whole family and stop on by!

Minnehaha County Holiday Event

Round Up!

3

HELP SAVE A THREATENED HISTORIC HOME FROM DEMOLITION

Say NO to Demolition! — TAKE A STAND —

Where: Sioux Falls City Hall 224 W 9th Street When: Wednesday, December 13 Time: 4:00 PM

» Please show your support by attending « “Demolition is IRREVERSIBLE. Once these homes are

gone,they are gone forever”

20171891

Thank You! …for your continued commitment to preserving local history. This Holiday Season we ask you to consider making a GIFT to the MCHS endowment fund. Your contribution will help ensure that its stewardship will continue to be here for future generations to come! Giving is easy and convenient. You can make a contribution or memorial gift of any size directly to the society or designate the Historical Society as beneficiary through the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation. MCHS is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), organization so all gifts are tax deductible.

Did you know AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way you can help support the Minnehaha County Historical Society—simply by shopping! Each time you make a purchase on smile.amazon.com, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products to the Historical Society. At smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as amazon.com.

Simply go to smile.amazon.com on your computer or mobile device. On your first visit to AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you'll need to select “Minnehaha County Historical Society” as your charitable organization to receive donations. Then, just begin shopping. Every eligible purchase you make will result in a donation—automatically!

To make it even easier add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to quickly return each time you shop at AmazonSmile.

Happy Shopping!!

Benefits (Seniors 65+ = $5 membership discount)

Individual $35

Household $50

Supporting $100

Sustaining $250

Benefactor $500

Subscription to Minnehaha County Historical Society History Pages (10 iss.) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Free Admission to monthly HistoryTalks Yes (Single + 1)

Yes (Single + 1)

Yes (Single + 1)

Yes (Single + 1)

Yes (Single + 1)

Name Acknowledgement in Minnehaha County Historical Society History Pages Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Discounted Tickets to Signature Events (COMING 2018)

Yes (up to 2 tickets)

Yes (up to 4 tickets)

Yes (up to 4 tickets)

Yes (up to 4 tickets)

Yes (up to 4 tickets)

10% discount on all MCHS merchandise Yes Yes Yes

Members-Only Pre-Sale period for Special Events (COMING 2018)

Yes (new & upgrading

members)

Yes (new, renewing, &

upgrading members)

Yes (new, renewing, &

upgrading members)

Copy of Where The Sioux River Bends by Wayne Fanebust

Yes (new, & upgrading

members)

Copy of Twelve Thousand Years of Human History by Bruce Blake

Yes (new, renewing, &

upgrading members)

Private HistoryWalk Tour for up to 10 People (by request)

Yes (new & upgrading

members)

MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

4

Historian Bruce Blake spent 10 years compiling this 500 page tome. The book provides a detailed history - and numerous stories - behind over 235 local historic markers, along with hundreds of historical photos, maps, and drawings that tell the dramatic history of Minnehaha County. $42.99 (tax + shipping extra)

BOOK SHOP

Originally published in 1995, the Historical Society Cookbook features over 334 pages filled with traditional German & Scandinavian recipes—many from past members and

local pioneers. It includes lots of local history, kitchen hints, and each recipe author is listed by name. Out-of-print for 10 years, we recently uncovered 50 hidden copies. Get yours now for Christmas! $15.00 (tax + shipping extra)

Local author Wayne Fanebust shares his unique historicperspective usingold newspaper accounts of the day to paint a compelling picture of the area oft described as the bend in the Big Sioux

River. It’s an absorbing tale about the unknown and unnamed pioneers of Minnehaha County who ventured here during the last half of the 19th century, and the collective impact they had on our local history. $12.00 (tax +

Written and created by cartoonist Ken Alvine, Digger the prairie dog is digging up and sharing some wonderful events about homesteaders and settlers on the great plains in this historic coloring book, Taming the Prairie.$4.95 (tax + shipping extra)

give the gift of history this Christmas!

Looking for a unique gift? Give a historic book!Just

call 605-951-9200, or pick one up at the OCM

booktore.

Support the Historical Society while you Christmas Shop!