Local Lou

Today we visit the Two Cemeteries historical marker on North Duluth Avenue, the quiet bluff where Sioux Falls’ earliest burial grounds once stood. Before Mount Pleasant Cemetery existed, before Sioux Falls was even a stable settlement, this hillside held the remains of the village’s first residents.

We explore the stories behind those early burials: Henry Masters, the provisional governor of the squatter government; Judge Joseph B. Amidon and his son William, whose deaths during the Dakota War of 1862 changed the fate of the entire settlement; and the soldiers stationed at Fort Dakota, whose presence created a national cemetery beside the city cemetery.

This marker, dedicated in 2003 by the descendants of Judge Amidon, the Minnehaha County Historical Society, and the City of Sioux Falls, opens a window into the fragile beginnings of Sioux Falls.

Candlelight Cemetery Tour at Mount Pleasant Cemetery Tickets, Multiple dates | Eventbrite

• History of Dakota Territory https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_Dakota_Territory/Ui9EAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22sioux+falls+city%22+history&pg=PA103&printsec=frontcover

• History of South Dakota https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_South_Dakota/o5tQAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22sioux+falls+city%22+history&pg=PA180&printsec=frontcover

• History of the Minnesota Valley https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_the_Minnesota_Valley/GGdAAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22sioux+falls+city%22+history&pg=PA216&printsec=frontcover

• New Church Messenger https://www.google.com/books/edition/New_Church_Messenger/dcc_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Henry+Masters%22+governor+sioux+falls&pg=PA138&printsec=frontcover

• Report and Historical Collections https://www.google.com/books/edition/Report_and_Historical_Collections/EmFDrioGZTIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Henry+Masters%22+governor+sioux+falls&pg=PA144&printsec=frontcover

• A Brief History of South Dakota https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Brief_History_of_South_Dakota/Chapter_32

First of all, should we all get pilots licenses so we can be called Aviatrix?

Nellie Zabel Willhite (1892–1991) was South Dakota’s first licensed female pilot and the first deaf woman in the United States to earn a pilot’s license (!!!) a groundbreaking achievement in early aviation. Born near Box Elder, she lost her hearing to measles as a child and later attended the South Dakota School for the Deaf. In 1927, she began flying lessons at Renner Field, soloing after just 13 hours of instruction and earning her license in 1928. Willhite became a barnstormer, stunt pilot, air‑race participant, and charter member of the Ninety‑Nines, the international organization of women pilots founded with Amelia Earhart. Despite discrimination and the challenges of flying while deaf, she became a celebrated aviation pioneer, later inducted into both the South Dakota Hall of Fame and the South Dakota Aviation Hall of Fame.

More to come once Nelly gets her historical marker!!

Legacy Nellie Willhite - SD Hall of Fame Programs 

Eloise or Eleanor “Nellie” Zabel Willhite (1892-1991) - Find a Grave Memorial 

https://deafwebsites.com/people/famous-deaf-people/the-life-of-nellie-zabel-willhite/ 

Monthly History Article | Read about South Dakota History 

Listen to the remarkable story of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American physician in the United States. Born on the Omaha Reservation in 1865, Picotte grew up witnessing the failures of federal agencies to protect Native health, a moment that sparked her lifelong mission.

If this story moved you, share the episode with someone who loves learning about trailblazers who shaped the Plains. Follow Local Lou for more history that deserves the spotlight!

• Nebraska Studies — Susan La Flesche Picotte: First Native American Female Physician https://nebraskastudies.org/en/1875-1899/susan-la-flesche-picotte-first-na-female-physician/

• History Nebraska — Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte https://history.nebraska.gov/dr-susan-la-flesche-picotte-first-native-american-woman-physician/

• Smithsonian Magazine — The Incredible Legacy of Susan La Flesche Picotte https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/incredible-legacy-susan-la-flesche-first-native-american-earn-medical-degree-180962332/

• National Library of Medicine — Changing the Face of Medicine: Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte https://cfmedicine.nlm.nih.gov/physicians/biography_253.html

• Nebraska Studies PDF — Letter from Susan La Flesche Picotte https://d1vmz9r13e2j4x.cloudfront.net/nebstudies/0603_0203letter.pdf

• PBS Learning Media — Medicine Woman Collection https://sdpb.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/medicine-woman/#.WmpVxEtJmCe

• Historical Marker Database — Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=206828

• Lincoln Public Art — Dr. La Flesche Picotte Sculpture https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks-Facilities/Public-Art/Dr.-La-Flesche-Picotte

• Picotte Center — Official Site https://picottecenter.org/

Eeek I am ready to put the episode out but have not written show notes, what to do, what to do? I am going to publish and note later, or at least with intent to note later. Listen to this episode to hear some rock solid history! Links below! Throwback Thursday: Sioux Quartzite

Iowa's Geological Past: Three Billion Years of Earth History - Page 38 

books.google.com › books 

Wayne I. Anderson · 1998 

Northwest Iowa Plains | Iowa Geological Survey - College of Engineering | The University of Iowa 

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Iowa_s_Geological_Past/D2kzQ5RC4JMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA38&printsec=frontcover  

Charles Abiathar White - Wikipedia 

Gitchie Manitou State Preserve | Department of Natural Resources 

Come along on my recent visit to the Oahe Dam during the South Dakota State Historical Society conference in Pierre. What begins as a look at one of the largest rolled‑earth dams in the world becomes a deeper exploration of the complicated history behind its construction, including the flooding of more than 200,000 acres of reservation land belonging to the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes.

Oahe Mission Historical Marker 

The Oahe Dam & Lake Historical Marker 

Dammed Indians Revisited — South Dakota Historical Society Press 

Outlet Works, Oahe Dam, Missouri River, South Dakota - Google Books 

Oahe Dam: Standing Rock’s Earlier Experience with Environmental Racism; and More DAPL Updates | 

Lady Liberty in McKennan Park is not just a statue or a historical marker but a story woven from patriotism, pioneer lore, garden‑club determination, and the everyday people who refused to let a symbol of freedom disappear even if a bunch of vandals try to ruin it.

We follow the legacy of Charles A. Sells, the pioneer who owned the original wooden carving and claimed it was modeled by Statue of Liberty sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi. We revisit the day in 1943 when twins Thelma and Elma Iverson unveiled the statue before thousands of Sioux Falls residents — a moment rooted in a family whose father, Sherman Iverson, once served as mayor of South Sioux Falls and was honored as Sioux Falls’ Father of the Year.

From the Garden Club’s grassroots fundraising campaign to the statue’s removal after vandalism, and finally its triumphant return as a bronze replica in 2002, this episode celebrates how a small neighborhood park became home to a big American symbol.

Join us as we connect McKennan Park’s Americana charm to the iconic Statue of Liberty, uncovering how liberty lives not just in national monuments, but in local stories, community action, and the places we gather every day.

• National Park Service — Joseph Pulitzer & the Pedestal Fundhttps://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/joseph-pulitzer.htm

• National Park Service — Statue of Liberty History Overviewhttps://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/index.htm (nps.gov in Bing)

• Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation — McKennan Parkhttps://www.siouxfalls.gov/parks/parks/mckennan (siouxfalls.gov in Bing)

• Siouxland Heritage Museumshttps://www.siouxlandmuseums.com/

• South Dakota State Archives — Accession Record referencing Charles A. Sellshttps://sdarchives.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/accessions/1009

• Dakota Conference Papers (Augie) — includes historical context from the erahttps://www.augie.edu/sites/default/files/2008dakconfpapers.pdf

• Ancestry Genealogy Search — Charles A. Sellshttps://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/results?firstName=charles&lastName=sells&page=2

534 N Main Once a bustling creamery in the early 1900s — where farmers delivered fresh milk each morning to be churned into butter and cream — this building has lived many lives. Today, it stands proudly restored, repurposed, and filled with the creative energy of modern Sioux Falls businesses.

Katz Creem — Small‑Batch Ice Cream 🍨 Website: Home | Katz Creem 

Explore Downtown Sioux Falls 🌆 DTSF Official Site:  

Downtown Sioux Falls | Things to Do, Events, and Attractions 

Let's enjoy the inspiring history of Sioux Falls’ iconic State Theatre, celebrating its century‑long journey from early grandeur to decades of silence, and finally, its revival. This episode blends Sioux Falls history with personal stories from the people who helped bring the theater back to life.

About - Sioux Falls State TheatreGive - Sioux Falls State Theatrehttps://youtu.be/8mrYv4IPFS0?si=2vsWlkQAYN0jOeX9 Throwback Thursday: Sioux Falls State Theatre

On the Local Lou Podcast, I explore the city one story at a time historic markers, forgotten corners, pioneer landmarks, neighborhood legends, and the surprising moments that shaped Sioux Falls into the place we love today. Some stories are familiar. Some are hidden in plain sight. All of them help you see the city with fresh eyes.

In this episode, we dig into the layers beneath Sioux Falls: ancient glaciers that carved our pink quartzite, the early communities who lived along the Big Sioux River, the railroad hustle that built downtown, and the unexpected era when Sioux Falls became the “divorce capital of America.” It’s a quick, curious walk through the past that explains the Sioux Falls we know now.

If you follow my Throwback Thursday history segments with Byalee Peterson on Dakota News Now, this podcast is the deeper dive — more stories, more context, and more chances to explore the city at your own pace. You can find even more Sioux Falls history, photos, and episodes on the Local Lou website.

Sioux Falls isn’t just a place to live.
It’s a place to explore — again and again.

Experience Sioux Falls
https://www.experiencesiouxfalls.com

Downtown Sioux Falls
https://www.dtsf.com

Inside the remarkable comeback of Sioux Falls’ oldest cemetery, a place where history was nearly lost, then lovingly revived. After Mount Pleasant Cemetery fell into disrepair and lost its nonprofit status, volunteers and a brand‑new board stepped in, transforming wild grass and leaning stones into a restored, transparent, community‑driven landmark in just six months.

In this episode, we walk through revival efforts from new leadership and funding strategies to the hands‑on projects that brought dignity back to the grounds. You’ll also meet Dr. Richard Lamb, a pioneering Black barber‑surgeon whose life and legacy reveal a powerful, often overlooked chapter of early Sioux Falls. His story, along with other early Black residents like Louisa Mitchell, shows why preserving Mount Pleasant matters: because when we restore a place, we restore the people and memories it holds.

Perfect for history lovers, preservation fans, and anyone who believes community action can change a city, this episode reminds us that forgotten stories aren’t gone they’re just waiting for someone to bring them back into the light.

Mount Pleasant CemeteryThrowback ThursdayLocal Lou Podcast