History Yankton, South Dakota

1 history

1.1 native inhabitants
1.2 dakota territorial capital
1.3 yankton stockade
1.4 yankton college
1.5 river port , flood of 1881
1.6 national register of historic places

history
native inhabitants

the site of yankton occupied yankton sioux (nakota) prior arrival of european settlers. part of vast louisiana purchase, site of yankton visited lewis , clark in 1804. in journals of expedition, explorers write of meeting on august 30, 1804 members of yankton sioux tribe on missouri river bluff presently known calumet bluff. 1857, present day site of yankton occupied village of yankton sioux led chief pa-le-ne-a-pa-pe ( struck ree ). 2 years later, signing of yankton treaty of 1858, land opened settlement. city founded small rhine creek (renamed marne creek in world war i) flowed missouri river. city grew stop steamboats take on fresh water , supplies, after steamboat traffic boomed when gold discovered in black hills.

dakota territory in 1861.



a modern replica of dakota territorial capitol building stands in yankton s riverside park.


dakota territorial capital

with 2 days left in term, president james buchanan signed law on march 2, 1861 creating dakota territory. yankton designated territorial capital, , newly inaugurated president abraham lincoln appointed personal physician, william a. jayne of springfield, illinois, first territorial governor. territorial capitol building, plain, two-story wooden structure, located @ intersection of fourth , capitol streets; original structure has been demolished, replica of building has been constructed in yankton s riverside park. yankton served territorial capital until 1883 when capital moved bismarck (presently in north dakota).

yankton stockade

in response dakota war of 1862 in western minnesota, governor jayne issued proclamation on august 30, 1862 requiring every male between ages of 18 , 50 in every settlement in eastern dakota, formed militias protect against expected attacks native americans. in response, yankton militia built stockade @ corner of third street , broadway avenue of approximately 200,000 square feet. settlers surrounding area, , far away sioux falls , bon homme county, fled yankton in order seek shelter in structure. although roving bands of native americans did approach yankton on course of several weeks, no attack ensued, , stockade abandoned , torn down. although no remnants of stockcade remain, monument can found @ site of stockade memorializing event.

among notable events occurred in yankton while capital, jack mccall, murderer of wild bill hickok in deadwood on august 2, 1876, tried in yankton hickok s murder, found guilty, , hanged on march 1, 1877 @ age of 24. body buried in yankton cemetery.

the conservatory building on former yankton college campus - federal prison.


yankton college

due urging of reverend joseph ward of yankton, general association of congregational churches in dakota territory voted in may 1881 establish pilgrim college in yankton, first private institution of higher learning in dakota. when college incorporated in august 1881, name had been changed yankton college . classes commenced in october 1882, , yankton college played prominent role in city on 100 years. then, in 1983, small liberal arts college forced close due financial insolvency. after remaining vacant several years, historic campus, listed on national register of historic places, purchased united states federal bureau of prisons use minimum security prison. federal prison camp – yankton houses approximately 850 male inmates.

river port , flood of 1881

since founding, yankton enjoyed natural advantage steamboat landing along missouri river due fact landing stretched along entire length of town’s riverfront. first steamboat reach yankton st. louis arrived in 1859, providing goods , supplies settlers , fur-traders in upper , central dakota. after that, city continued grow, particularly after gold discovered in black hills in 1874 , prospectors rushed dakota territory. 1880, yankton had become established riverboat port on missouri river, city’s status important port literally crushed on march 27, 1881 when ice dam on missouri river burst, sending flood waters , giant blocks of ice flowing towards town.

a view of yankton s riverfront after flood of march 1881.

the resulting flood waters continued accumulate behind debris, , march 29, town’s riverfront , downtown covered in water, ice , rock, destroying or stranding several riverboats moored there. result of flood, , expansion of railroads preferred method of shipping goods (the railroad reached yankton in 1872, , rest of dakota throughout 1870s), yankton’s river boat traffic reduced, , city’s role prominent stopping point on way west dwindled on next several years.

francis marion ziebach established second newspaper in area became south dakota, weekly dakotan, in yankton on june 6, 1861, bringing outfit sioux falls team , wagon. second newspaper, started francis marion ziebach, still published today yankton press , dakotan.

in 1882, human services center established psychiatric hospital. on june 2, 1883, dakota territory governor nehemiah g. ordway moved territorial capital yankton bismarck, present-day north dakota.

national register of historic places

as evidence of rich historical past, yankton has 26 individual properties , 6 historic districts within city listed on national register of historic places, maintained u.s. national park service. each individual district contains several structures, , include:

the yankton (residential) historic district,
the yankton college historic district,
the yankton high school historic district,
the yankton historic commercial district
the house of gurney historic district, and
the south dakota human services center campus.




^ kingsbury, george w. (1915) – history of dakota territory – s.j. clarke publishing company, chicago, il. – pp. 115
^ discovery. - yankton, south dakota.
^ press & dakotan - history of yankton, south dakota
^ milton, john r. (1988) – south dakota: history – w.w. norton , company, new york, n.y. – pp. 71
^ karolevitz, robert f. (1972). yankton: pioneer past - north plains press, aberdeen, s.d. - pp. 40-41. u.s. library of congress number 72-88949
^ kingsbury, george w. (1915) – history of dakota territory – s.j. clarke publishing company, chicago, il. – pp. 235-244.
^ karolevitz (1972), pp. 85.
^ karolevitz (1972), pp. 99-100.
^ kingsbury (1915), pp. 567.
^ kingsbury (1915), pp. 568.
^ kingsbury (1915), pp. 891-896.
^ karolevitz (1972), pp. 92-95.
^ karolevitz (1972), pp. 95.
^ lee, james melvin (1917). - history of american journalism. - houghton mifflin company. - pp.246-247.

— coursey, oscar william (1917). - who’s in south dakota. - educator supply company.

— note: according these sources, first newspaper in south dakota dakota democrat published in sioux falls 4 years starting in 1858, , weekly dakotan second newspaper in south dakota, starting on june 4, 1861.
^ south dakota guide. - federal writer’s project. - 1938. - p.35.