This morning, we toured South Dakota’s Capitol Building in Pierre … our 25th of 51 (including the capitol in Washington, DC). Like each of those we’ve previously visited it is unique in many ways.
However, for many years, it was not a given the Pierre would become the state’s capital. In 1861, the Dakota Territory was recognized by the United States government. This area initially included North Dakota, South Dakota, and parts of Montana and Wyoming. During this time period, the towns of Yankton (1862)
all served terms as the capital city. When South Dakota became an independent state it was decided that it was also time to establish a permanent capital city. Many towns campaigned for this position, very much like a political campaign. The city of Pierre, in fact, went into debt for 30 years because of the amount of money they spent on their campaign. The central location of Pierre within South Dakota is what helped the current Capital City win the campaign.
Outgoing Governor Herried in his message to the 1905 Legislature said "South Dakota needs a new statehouse, fireproof and commodious and in harmony with its progress and prosperity."
The Capitol Building was built between 1905 and 1910. The 114,000 square foot structure was constructed of a variety of materials including native field stone, Indiana limestone and Vermont and Italian marble. It stands 161 feet tall, 190 feet wide and 292 feet long and features hundreds of hand-crafted materials, including carved woodwork and marble, special brass castings and hand laid stone.
While made of copper, because the atmosphere in Pierre is so much purer than that in other state capitals with copper domes, its color turned black rather than turning greenish due to pollutants in the air.
Entering the main entrance you look up and see the state seal on the ceiling
and then you are immediately captivated by
we were blown-away with magnificent marble grand staircase
two of which were done by Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore
Paintings above the sculptures in each upper corner of the Rotunda, each portraying a Roman Goddess with symbolizing aspects of South Dakota,
and stain glass vaulted ceiling above
marble columns and capstones,
With no formal tours scheduled today, we were on our own for a self-guided effort … which actually worked out well as we had a private tour of the Supreme Court chambers and a conversation with the Governor’s secretary.
Two notes of interest: First, although five justices, you see only four seats. That’s because one justice uses a wheel chair. Second, the religious mural runs counter to the concept of the separation of church and state.
"The Peace That Passes Understainding"
(very faded and hard to see from just one angle)
The desks in both House and Senate Chambers are cherry wood roll-tops which are original from 1910 and have been refurbished
Interestingly, the doors and door jambs on the Legislative floor are Oak on the sides facing the corridors and Mable on the interior sides.
Governor’s Reception Office
The Capitol grounds host a number of sculptures and monuments.
Replica of the Liberty Bell
Monument Commemorating the Signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787
World War II Monument
Korean War Monument
Vietnam War Monument
Memorial to Fallen Firefighters
Memorial to Fallen Law Enforcement Officers
Memorial to Fallen Emergency Medical Technicians
The Flaming Fountain Memorial
and the most recognized, the
Fighting Stallions Memorial
The life-size cast bronze sculpture was made from 90 tons of Dakota mahogany granite and was erected to celebrate and honor the lives of eight men, including then Governor George S. Mickelson, who were killed in the crash of a state aircraft due to a propeller assembly failure
We next drove to Oahe (in the Sioux language meaning “a place to stand upon”) Dam and Power Plant on the Missouri River.
Construction on the dam began in 1948 and was completed and power generation began in April 1962 (Dedicated by President Kennedy). The Oahe Dam, the world’s 14th largest by volume, created a lake that stretches 231 miles upstream. The length of the dam is 9,300 feet, with a width at the top of 60 feet and at the base 3,500 feet.
It stands 245 feet high, required 92 million cubic yards of earthen fill and required 1,122,000 cubic yards of concrete.
The lake covers 374,000 acres of land with a maximum depth of 205 feet and 2,250 miles of shoreline. Benefits from the dam include recreation, irrigation, flood control, navigation and power.
Adjacent to the dam is the Oahe Mission School and Chapel.
Stephen Return Riggs became a Missionary to the Sioux in Minnesota in 1837. His son, Thomas was born in 1847 and twenty-five years later was delegated to serve the Teton Sioux on the Missouri River.
His first station, was in Hope, opposite Fort Sully. On December 26, 1872 he married Nina Foster and his son, Theodore, was born in July 1874; after which they left Hope to serve 300 Two Kettle and Sans Arc Sioux at Boque, soon thereafter, called Oahe Station.
A school and church were necessary. Lumber to build it was brought in by steamer in June 1877, and by September, Riggs, one carpenter and Indian labor had created a chapel adjacent to his homestead.
Where the annual Dacotah chruch meeting was held. It also served as a missionary school where the Bible was intiaally taught in the Dakotalanguage and later in English only.
The building has not been changed since it served as a school and church
Some writing on the blackboards is in the hand of Louisa Irvine, Thomas Riggs’ second wife, who survived him.
The church pews were convertible into benches and desks for school children
and on their sides was a message
inscribed with “Wakan Tanka Ohala Po” (Praise the Lord in Sioux) was the gift of a New England Congregational Church, Thomas Riggs’ own faith. The original site of his home stead and the church was originally 11 miles upstream … now lies under 150 feet of water since the dam’s construction.