Pierre, South Dakota

Pierre is the capital of the state of South Dakota. Located on the Missouri River, the city developed as a shipping and transportation hub while the river provided the irrigation necessary to develop a thriving agriculture industry. Despite its designation as a state capital, Pierre is considered by many to be a prototypical "cowtown," and represents one of the state's oldest settlements, dating back to the explorations of Lewis and Clark and the activities of French fur traders.

Landscape

Pierre is located on the Missouri Plateau several miles from the geographic center of South Dakota. Its western boundary is formed by the Missouri River, while the land to its east is open prairie. The city is approximately 13 square miles, making it one of the smallest state capitals in the nation.

Five miles north of Pierre is the Oahe Dam and the southern tip of Lake Oahe, a 231-mile reservoir that provides irrigation for the surrounding farmland. The dam also provides flood-control and electricity for much of South Dakota and its neighboring states.

Pierre's climate can be harsh, with cold winters and hot summers. Temperatures range from an average low of 9.3 degrees in January to an average high of 88.3 degrees in July. The annual median snowfall is 37.2 inches, and an average of 16.8 inches of rain falls during the warmer periods.

Occasional droughts occur, most notably the one responsible in part for the Dust Bowl storms during the 1930s. Tornadoes can also occur, including a violent tornado which struck on July 23, 1973, injuring ten people and inflicting hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. Four other tornadoes also hit the county that same year.

People

Pierre is considered the second least-populated state capital, trailing only Montpelier, Vermont, with a US Census Bureau estimated 2022 population of 13,969. The rest of Hughes County, in which Pierre is situated, is sparsely populated, with an average of just twenty-four people per square mile--compared to nearly forty-two cattle per square mile of farmland.

The majority of the population is White (81.5 percent). Of these, the majority are of German heritage (36.5), followed by English (11.5), Irish (11.3), and Norwegian (11.2), in addition to smaller groups of Poilish, Czechs, and others. Native Americans comprise an estimated 9.6 percent of the population, followed by Latinos or Hispanics at 4 percent, and small numbers of Black or African Americans, Asians, and others.

Most Native Americans in Pierre belong to the Sioux Nation, and are either of Dakota (Santee Sioux), Nakota (Yankton), or Lakota (Teton) heritage. Powwows, also known as wacipi, are a standard event at Fort Pierre and include the hoop dance, craft displays, and native dishes such as wojapi, a fruit pudding. Native crafts include porcupine quillwork, basketry, beaded goods, and quilts.

Despite its small population, Pierre is home to a number of cultural festivals and events, including the Dutch Oven Cook-off. Famous explores Meriweather Lewis and William Clark carried a traditional Dutch oven on their historical adventure, as did many pioneers who relied on the sturdy vessel for survival. Other unique events include the Oahe Days and Arts Festival, which takes place in Steamboat Park,

Economy

The Missouri River and the railroad allowed Pierre to develop as a transportation and shipping hub. Surrounded by fertile, open land on which to grow wheat and raise cattle, Pierre also grew as an agricultural community and continues to rely on agricultural products to support its transportation industry.

The state government is Pierre's largest employer, claiming about 37 percent of the workforce. Education, retail, and health and social services comprise another third. Agriculture, construction, food services, and forestry/hunting/fishing represent other industries that are important to the city's economic growth and stability.

Tourism has been growing in recent decades, with strong historical attractions and outdoor recreation providing the primary draws. As the city continues to develop its cultural resources, this industry will likely comprise a larger percentage of the overall economic picture.

Pierre has demonstrated modest annual growth throughout much of its history and its residents have enjoyed a stable living. According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income in 2022 was $80,473, one of the highest figures in the state. In addition, 11.7 percent of the population fell below the poverty line.

Landmarks

The State Capitol is Pierre's most recognizable building. Completed in 1910, it features an elaborate interior marked by marble, stained glass, and circular murals that depict the heritage of South Dakota. The building is situated on the Capitol Complex, an area comprising 115 acres of green space, sixteen buildings, and the 5-acre Capitol Lake. The South Dakota National Guard Museum, South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium, and Hyde Stadium, home to the Post 8 American Legion Baseball program, are other major attractions in Pierre.

Throughout the region are dozens of historical landmarks that celebrate Native American heritage, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the arrival of settlers to the Great Plains. Visitors to the Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society can view a Sioux tipi (tepee) and a nineteenth-century sod house. Nearby is the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center, an official stop on South Dakota's Lewis and Clark Trail. Other nearby sites on the Lewis and Clark Trail are the Buffalo Interpretive Center, operated by the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe; the Lewis and Clark Family Center; and the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center located on the Crow Creek Sioux Reservation.

Another site on the Trail is Fort Pierre, a National Historic Monument located across the Missouri River from Pierre, at the confluence of the Bad and Missouri Rivers. A monument marks the spot where, in 1743, explorers Louis Joseph and François de La Vérendrye claimed the region for France. Also in Fort Pierre is the Casey Tibbs South Dakota Rodeo Center. Named for world champion rodeo cowboy Casey Tibbs, the center is the official rodeo facility for the entire state.

Visitors can reach Fort Pierre from downtown Pierre via a walking path. Over 50 miles of trails in and around Pierre cater to joggers and bicyclists. A trail leads to La Framboise Island, and another to Farm Island. To the south is Fort Pierre National Grassland, a popular hunting place for coyote, deer, prairie chicken, and sharp-tailed grouse. To the north is Oahe Dam and Lake Oahe, where walleye, the state fish, are the biggest attraction.

History

In 1743, Louis Joseph and François de La Vérendrye claimed the region where the Missouri and Bad Rivers converged for France. France would later own the entire territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, and from British America (Canada) to the Gulf of Mexico, known as La Louisiane, or Louisiana.

What de La Vérendrye had claimed for France, however, already belonged to the Arikara Indians (Sahnish). During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, most of the Arikara were killed off by smallpox introduced by Europeans. The remaining groups were driven north by the incoming Sioux, Cheyenne and Teton tribes, often referred to as the Great Plains Indians.

The Sioux settled on both sides of the Missouri River, where they raised crops, hunted buffalo, and traded goods with the Arikara, the Mandan and other Northern tribes, although the two factions were more often adversaries than at peace.

In 1803, the US bought Louisiana from France and President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriweather Lewis and William Clark to seek out a route across the Rocky Mountains. In the summer of 1804, Lewis and Clark reached the convergence of the Missouri and Bad Rivers, where French trader Joseph La Framboise had established a trading post. The explorers established working friendships with the Sioux before continuing on their journey, although the Teton Sioux were not as welcoming.

In the decades following Lewis and Clark's successful trip, the US military attempted to stake out the western land for homesteading and commerce. Their zeal ushered in a period of history in which many Native Americans died fighting for their homeland. The government returned some land to the Native Americans, but reserved the area that later became Pierre for homesteaders. The land located immediately across the river at Fort Pierre was also reserved for settlers.

Fort Pierre had been founded in 1832 by French fur trader Pierre Chouteau, Jr., and by mid-century was operating as an important outpost on the frontier. It developed into the first white settlement in the South Dakota area, with its success bolstered by the popularity of the steamboat from the 1830s on, and by the Gold Rush in the Black Hills of western South Dakota during the 1870s.

During much of the nineteenth century, settlers arrived to the banks of the Missouri River by stagecoach or wagon and claimed land where the town of Pierre evolved (which was named for Chouteau). In 1880, the Chicago and Northwestern Railway completed their westernmost terminus near the Missouri River and the town grew exponentially.

When South Dakota gained its statehood in 1889, Pierre was named the temporary capital. Only in 1904, after much debate, did the designation become permanent. Significant events during the twentieth century included the construction of Pierre's first bridge over the Missouri in 1927 and the damming of the Oahe River, which began in 1948 and took eleven years to complete.

Trivia

• As a cost-saving measure, the same architectural plans used for Montana's State Capitol were also used to construct South Dakota's State Capitol.
• Pierre is located on the western edge of the Central Standard Time Zone (CST), while Mountain Time (MT) begins on the other side of the Missouri River, where Fort Pierre is located.
• The Old South Dakota Governor's Mansion, built in 1936, housed sixteen governors. After a new mansion was built, the old one was cut into four pieces and moved to Rapid City, where it underwent renovation and is used for private parties, weddings and other functions.

“NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data.” National Weather Service, www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=abr. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

“Pierre City, South Dakota.” US Census Bureau, data.census.gov/profile/Pierre‗city,‗South‗Dakota?g=160XX00US4649600. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

“QuickFacts: Pierre City, South Dakota.” US Census Bureau, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/pierrecitysouthdakota/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.