Wall Drug Adventure 2020 - Day 41 (Day Off)

  My second day off and I decided to head to Pierre South Dakota and look the town over.  I also wanted to stop at any small town on my way through that showed some age and history.  I had an American breakfast or sausage and cheese biscuit and headed out.  Pierre is back East but not by I-90.  It is on highway US-14.  I figured out that this route was an old well traveled route over the years, but I will get to that later. 

  The drive took me to the little town of Cottonwood, population 9.  I don't know what the historical significance of the town was, as there was no historical markers.  Wikipedia says: Cottonwood was originally named Ingham, and under the latter name was laid out in 1906.  I just liked the old buildings and such I found.  Below are some of the pictures I took of the town.

   After Cottonwood I came to the town of Philip South Dakota.  Population 779 and a lot more active that Cottonwood for sure.  It is the county seat of Haakon County and has many nice features.  The courthouse was very nice and the bank and railroad stop was interesting also.  The town had set up many statues and markers telling about their link to the railroad.  According to Wikipedia: Philip was laid out in 1907 when the Chicago and North Western Railway was extended to that point. It was incorporated in 1908. The not so surprising thing I saw as they had the same church issue as we do at home.  779 people in a town and six churches.  Sounds a lot like Lyons Indiana.

If you will look closely it is a Methodist Presbyterian Church.  The first one I ever saw

A nice courthouse

  After I walked around Philip I headed down the road to a small town of Midland South Dakota.  There was a museum in it that looked promising but when I approached the door it said open by appointment only.  It gave a list of 5 numbers to call.  I was hoping for a look into it and see some history but I have to rely on Wikipedia.  Population 129. Midland was laid out in 1890. The town was named from its location halfway between the Missouri and Cheyenne rivers. A post office called Midland has been in operation since 1890.  The town had one unusual place that I really wanted to check out but was limited on time. The only hotel in town was the Stroppel Inn.  Its main advertising indicated you could get a hot mineral bath.  If you want to know more about the place you can click here Stroppel Inn

  

  Leaving Midland I continued on US-14 and found several historical markers indicating the importance of the road.  I was traveling on the Old Deadwood trail.  This was a stage trail and wagon trail and later a railroad trail from Ft. Pierre South Dakota to Deadwood South Dakota.  All along the way to Pierre I spotted several historical markers indicating the importance of this route. 

   I finally made it to Pierre, well really Ft. Pierre first.  Then I crossed the Missouri River and I entered Pierre South Dakota.  The capital of South Dakota only has a population of around 13,900 people.  Pretty small for a state capital, but I can see why it was important.  The Missouri River not only brought Lewis and Clark to the area, but a river brings commerce.  Commerce brings importance to a town and I would imagine Pierre became very important to the surrounding area.  Just think of how many tons of cargo were brought up the river and then loaded onto wagons and pulled to Deadwood or Lead or Rapid City.  The first thing I wanted to do was get something to eat.  So I picked up a sandwich at McDonald's and then headed to the river side park that Pierre set up.  The park was very nice and had a great view of the river and the bridges over it.  After I ate I took a 3 mile walk around the Lewis and Clark trail by the river.  It supposedly goes 5 miles to an island on the river that Lewis and Clark stayed at.  I got some great pictures of the bridge and the railroad bridge.  Which was the last of its type in South Dakota.  It had a mechanism that allowed it to turn and allow boats to go by and then return into place for a train or cars to go on.  The mechanism does not work anymore but the bridge seems to be in good shape.

  After I finished at the park I drove around to  see the town.  I then headed out to see the Oahe Dam that was built to get power from the Missouri River.  Lake Oahe was created by damning up the Missouri River.  The Lake is the 4th largest reservoir in the US and it goes into North Dakota.  The reservoir length is about 220 miles.  The sad part about it is that you can't travel the river like Lewis and Clark did any more.  :)

  Just after Pierre and before the Oahe Dam I ran across a historical marker just pointing to a large pasture.  But the history of the field was interesting.  Read the marker and enjoy the history lesson.

   On my way back to Wall I ran across this very interesting church.  It was in really great shape and had a lot of history behind it.

  Finally on my way back I looked over an oddity that I saw when I was going to Pierre.  Out in the middle of nowhere, miles from any town there was a baseball diamond complete with lights and freshly mowed.  I guess if you build it they will come and I was drawn to it.  There was not signs and nothing preventing me from using it.  I was jsut real curious as to why it was there.

  Well that is about it for my day off.  I will be making me a Wall Dog for dinner tonight.  I have late shift tomorrow so I get to sleep late.  Take care and be well.