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These are some of the places we visited while staying at Oahe:
Oahe Chapel (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) - In 1874, Reverend Thomas L. Riggs, a Congregationalist minister and his first wife, Cornelia Margaret Foster, established the Oahe Mission to serve the Sioux Indians of central South Dakota. It was built on the site of an old Arikara Indian village called Ti Tanke Ohe, later shortened to "Oahe." The name of the mission was eventually given not only to the mission, but also to the dam and lake that now cover the site. In the beginning, a log house was the center of the mission. By 1877, the house had become too small, and the Indians agreed to help Reverend Riggs build a chapel, which was finished by September of the same year. It was expected to serve a dual purpose -- it served as a schoolhouse and as the center of religious life. Starting with an ABC primer, the men, women, and children of the mission all learned to read the Bible, first in the Dakota language and later in English. The missionaries reduced the language to writing; taught them how to read and write
in their own tongue; translated the Bible for them; harmonized many native airs for the hymn book; and started schools for the training of children and adults. The missionaries, Williamson and Riggs, served the Dakota people for four generations. The building has not changed since it served as a school and church. Some blackboard entries of Louisa Irvine, one of the missionary teachers, has been preserved. As Europeans settled in the community, they joined in Sunday and holiday worship at the chapel. Services were originally conducted in the Dakota language but by 1931 only English was used. In the 1950'a, when it became evident that the completion of the Oahe Dam would flood the mission location, the chapel was given to the State of South Dakota, and in 1957, the chapel was moved to a temporary location, and in 1964, it was relocated to the eastern end of the Oahe Dam, where it still stands today.
South Dakota State Capitol Building in Pierre - The Capitol Building was constructed between 1905 and 1910. The more than 114,000 square foot structure was constructed of a variety of materials including native field stone, Indiana limestone, and Vermont and
Italian marble. It is 161 feet tall, 190 feet wide, and 292 feet long, and features hundreds of hand-crafted materials including carved woodwork and marble, special cast brass, and hand laid stone. The building was designed and built for just under $1,000,000 and was a modified version of the Montana State Capitol in Helena. The current estimated value is nearly $58,000,000. Government agencies moved into the Capitol Building in the summer of 1910. In 1976 a commission established a long-term plan to restore the Capitol Building to its original grandeur. Sixty-six Italian artists were hired to lay terrazzo tile flooring throughout the Capitol Building. Artists often leave their signature on their individual piece of art; however, in this case it was impossible for each Italian artist to leave a personal signature of his craft in the terrazzo stone flooring. Instead, each artist was given a special blue stone as a "signature stone" for the artist to place somewhere in the Capitol at the artist's discretion. Only 55 of the 66 blue stones have ever been found. Beginning in the 1980s, contractors from Sioux Falls were hired to repair hundreds of feet of cracks in the terrazzo tile throughout the building.
These cracks were caused by settling of the building during the drought years of the 1930s. Upon completion of each crack repair, the workmen also used a "signature stone" in the form of a small heart stone. This First Floor Rotunda is primarily used as the gallery and display area of the Capitol and features the Governors Gallery of portraits of all Governors of South Dakota since Statehood as well as numerous portraits of Supreme Court Justices of South Dakota. This area also features the First Lady Gown Collection and historic information about each of the First Ladies since Statehood. Each case shows a replica of the gown worn to the Inaugural Ball by the First Lady. Under the Victorian leaded stained glass of the dome are 16 oval-like alcove openings which represent the "Tree of Life". Below are rectangular openings which circle the dome and feature a Pasque flower, the State Flower of South Dakota. All columns in the Rotunda and throughout the Capitol are made from scagliola, a man-made marble. Scagliola originated in Italy and is extremely difficult and expensive to repair or duplicate. The general ingredients of scagliola are keen cement, marble dust/shavings, water/milk, yarn and ink.
Marble water fountains with solid brass spigots and handles adorn the corridors just off of the Rotunda. Originally, flowing water to each fountain was not provided, but a brass cup and bowl of fresh water were added each day for employees and visitors. Fixtures were added later as running water became available.
The Grand Staircase is one of the central focal points and is constructed of Vermont "Whitecloud" Marble. The third floor of the building is the "Legislative Floor". It is divided into two distinct "sides" (House, East side and Senate, West side) with the Rotunda and Grand Staircase in the center.
The House Chamber is decorated in earth-tone colors, decorative plaster and solid oak wood accents. The house of Representatives is flanked by a lobby on each side; a private lobby for legislators during session and one for lobbyists. The chairs and ornate wood decor at the front of the Chamber are all hand-carved oak; the light fixtures and lamps are solid brass; the plaster ceiling and side walls are accented with decorative stenciling; backlit Victorian leaded stained glass adorns the ceiling.
The Senate is decorated in green tones, scagliola columns, Vermont White Cloud marble, cherry
wood, and African mahogany. The rolltop desks are cherry wood and the front podium is Africn mahogany; chairs and ornate woodwork at the front of the Chamber are hand-carved African mahogany; light fixtures, including the chandeliers which weigh 750 lbs. each, are solid brass; the ceiling is accented with decorative stenciling; and backlit Victorian leaded stained glass in the ceiling.
La Framboise Island - The island was originally named "Bad Humor" by Lewis and Clark because of the difficulty they had with Black Buffalo's band of Sioux Indians at the mouth of the Bad River. It was later changed to its present name, when Joseph La Framboise built Fort La Framboise at the mouth of the Bad River in 1817 for the American Fur Company. In 1829 the trading post was moved a mile upstream and renamed Fort Pierre Choteau after one of the founders of the fur company. In later years, parts of the island were farmed and a small saw mill also operated there. La Framboise Island became part of the Corps of Engineers' Big Bend Project in the 1960's and the causeway was constructed, making the area more accessible to visitors. The island is
typical of a number of sand bar islands that used to be found along the Missouri River floodplains, but few of these remain today because of dam construction. The vegetation of the island is currently in a state of change. Before the dams were constructed upstream the island would occasionally flood. The inundations saturated the soil and removed some of the mature trees permitting cottonwood seeds to germinate and grow. Since flooding has stopped, cottonwood trees have had little reproduction, while cedar, ash, and Russian Olive are becoming more prevalent. The island is an area with a large diversity of bird species and wildlife such as deer and wild turkey, the endangered least term and the bald eagle; snakes, ticks and poison ivy are also common. We took about a three hour hike on the hiking path and enjoyed the beauty of serenity of the island.
The World War II Memorial - located on Capitol Lake is a tribute to the 65,000 South Dakotans who served in the war. Six bronze statues, representing the different rolls South Dakotans played in the war, stand saluting the American flag.
The Flaming Fountain Memorial - features a
Sioux Horse Effigy Dance Stick
This masterpiece of Sioux sculpture in the Heritage Center is one of only two known sculptures of its kind in the world. The 3-foot sculpture carved out of wood is enhanced by a real horsehair mane and tail, and leather reins and bridle. The horse is riddled with holes
signifying bullet wounds, and red paint to signify blood seeping from its wounds. Blood also runs from the mouth in the form of red horsehair. Its ears are backward slanting showing fear and pain. It's elongated body and forward leaping motion suggest a leap from life to death. A Sioux warrior probably carved this piece around 1875 to honor his faithful horse that had died in battle.flowing artesian well which contains natural gas in the water. The natural gas is ignited to provide a background of "water on fire" for the WWI and WWII adjacent memorials.
The Fallen Firefighters, Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Technicians Memorials - honors South Dakota Firefighters, Police Officers and Emergency Medical Technicians who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
The Korean War Memorial - pays tribute to South Dakotans who served and died in the war. A statue of an American GI is glancing at his fallen brethern whose names are forever now upon a wall of honor. He gives the soldiers a salute and completes his mission. This memorial is a lasting tribute to more than 26,000 South Dakotans who fought in the Korean War and more than 170 who never returned from combat.
The South Dakota Vietnam War Memorial - depicts a battle-weary foot soldier, bearing his M-16 rifle in one hand and the dogtags of a fallen brother in the other outstretched hand. Bearing his regulation gear - his pack, helmet, canteen, and weapons - he also carries personal reminders of the place he calls home
Sioux Chief Headress
Located in the Heritage Center and the people who await his return.
The South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center - This earth-mounded center is an official site along the Lewis and Clark National Historical Trail and was named "Best State History Museum" along the trail. We spent an entire afternoon in the Heritage Center and thoroughly enjoyed all the exhibits depicting time periods in South Dakota history.
Pierre City Park - We spent an afternoon in this very pretty city park which has picnic areas, hiking and biking trail, band shell, frisbee golf course, as well as places just to sit and enjoy the scenery of the river and the park itself.
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