Name: South Dakota's Mathis Murders
Brand: Noel Hamiel
SKU: 9781467150750
Price: 24.99 USD
Availability: InStock

South Dakota's Mathis Murders

9781467150750

$24.99

South Dakota's Mathis Family Murders brought death and deception to the heartland.

It was perhaps the most infamous murder case in state history. Ladonna Mathis was shot twice in the head at point-blank range inside the family's metal shed serving as their makeshift home. Two of her three children, ages 2 and 4, were also shot in the head. The brutality of the killings shocked the state and set off a frenzy of law enforcement activity. Despite its intensity, the investigation never found the murderer or the murder weapon. Though charged with the crime, the husband was acquitted, leaving the door open for endless speculation about what really occurred on that late summer morning of Sept. 8, 1981.

With renewed insight from those involved, veteran South Dakota journalist Noel Hamiel explores this cold case of murder and mystery that still haunts the Mount Rushmore state.

Capturing the Younger Brothers Gang in the Northern Plains

9781467152365

$21.99

Capturing the Younger Brothers Gang in the Northern Plains: The Untold Story of Heroic Teen Asle Sorbel is a historic tale of vigilante valor

Near sleepy Hanska slough, September 21, 1876, Norwegian teen Asle Sorbel made a daring "Paul Revere ride'? into Madelia, Minnesota. His efforts, and those of the Madelia Magnificent Seven, led to the capture of the Younger Brothers of the Jesse James-Younger Gang. The gang's botched Northfield bank raid and infamous Madelia Shoot Out were well reported. But, Alse's story was lost to history. Friends of the outlaws planned reprisals. Alse changed his name, his persona and his location. He kept his mount shut. In 1883, he quietly reestablished himself in Dakota Territory. As years passed, he became the premier horse doctor in the Webster, South Dakota area, all the while haunted by vigilant fear.

Author Arley K. Fadness uncovers the lost secrets and remarkable life of valiant Asle Oscar Sobel.

Capturing the Younger Brothers Gang in the Northern Plains

Ellsworth Air Force Base

9781467106948

$24.99

Rapid City Army Air Base was constructed in 1942 and used as a training location for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber aircrews throughout the duration of World War II. After the war, the newly renamed Rapid City Air Force Base (AFB) led the nation's strategic bombardment force, deploying B-29 Superfortresses to Britain during the Berlin Blockade and later flying the B-36 Peacemaker heavy bomber. In 1953, Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower renamed the base for Brig. Gen. Richard E. Ellsworth, who was killed during a mission over Burgoyne's Cove, Newfoundland. From 1960 to 1994, Ellsworth AFB was a Strategic Air Command superbase containing two legs of the American Strategic Nuclear Triad--heavy bomber aircraft (B-52 Stratofortresses and B-1B Lancers) and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (Titan and Minuteman). Today, the personnel at Ellsworth AFB continue to build upon the storied legacy of the South Dakota base, projecting American airpower around the world.

Sioux Falls

9780738541488

$24.99

After 150 years, Sioux Falls continues to attract many people to the area. It was the beauty and power of the falls of the Big Sioux River that attracted early pioneers from other states in 1856 when the first town site, Sioux Falls, was organized in the Dakota Territory. Run out by Native American uprisings, these early settlers soon fled the area and did not return until 1865 when the government stepped in for protection and established Fort Dakota, a military reservation. From that early village to a city with a population of 141,000 in 2006, Sioux Falls continues to be one of the best places to live and a beautiful place to visit.

Deadwood

9780738539799

$23.99

Think about the most romantically notorious Wild West town you ever heard of, and most likely Deadwood would head the list. Deadwood has more than its share of legends, heroes, and brigands who traveled through or made their homes here: Wild Bill and Calamity Jane to be sure, but also Buffalo Bill, Wyatt Earp, Captain Jack Crawford (the "Poet Scout"), California Joe, Seth Bullock, Poker Alice, and many more. No other frontier town--not Dodge City, Tombstone, Abilene, or Cripple Creek--could claim them all. Deadwood is the champion, and was the happening place in the late 1870s. This legacy lives on today as casino gambling--perhaps ironically but fittingly--financed the preservation of historic downtown Deadwood begining in 1989, an area that is now designated a National Historic Landmark.

Mt. Rushmore and Keystone

9780738539614

$24.99

In the heart of a geological upthrust, four presidents, memorialized in granite, gaze across the rugged country of South Dakota's Black Hills. At the foot of the mountain lies Keystone, a small community indelibly linked to the carving of Mount Rushmore. In 1876, prospectors swarmed into the central Black Hills in search of gold. While they did find it, these early miners also found other minerals, such as tin and feldspar. By the turn of the 20th century, Keystone was well-known for its mineral riches, but also for the boom and bust cycles that often accompany mining. The town's future was guaranteed in 1925, however, when Gutzon Borglum, a noted sculptor, arrived to secure a location for a monument to American democracy. Borglum drew heavily on the skills of Keystone miners, putting them to work on a mountain that would soon portray the images of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. In this book, readers will find vintage photographs--many never before published--that, along with engaging narrative, tell the story of Keystone and the carving of Mount Rushmore.

Custer State Park

9780738534053

$24.99

Custer State Park is one of the largest and most beautiful state parks in the nation. From towering granite spires and pine-draped mountains to trout streams and remote savanna, the park offers scenic wonders and recreational opportunities seldom matched on the Northern Great Plains. First established as a state forest in 1912, today the park is home to one of the largest bison herds in the country, as well as other rare flora and fauna. Prior to settlement, the Black Hills were Lakota territory. After gold was discovered along French Creek in 1874, the government waged war on the Lakota, forcing them onto reservations, and settlers rushed to the region. Photos and narrative in this book provide an intriguing overview of the park's rich natural and social history. Whether the subject is Cathedral Spires or Sylvan Lake, General George Custer or Black Elk, Custer State Park will engage those who value history and the last few unspoiled places left in the country.

Pine Ridge Reservation

9780738533575

$24.99

Established as the Pine Ridge Agency in southwestern South Dakota between Nebraska and the Black Hills in 1878, Pine Ridge became a reservation in 1889. The second-largest reservation in the country, comprised of almost 2 million acres, it is home to 38,000 residents, almost 18,000 of whom are enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The history of the Pine Ridge Reservation is laden with both an awe-inspiring cultural heritage and the tragic effects of forced settlement on the reservation.

Cover image for Pine Ridge Reservation, isbn: 9780738533575

The Civilian Conservation Corps

9780738532646

$24.99

The Civilian Conservation Corps was established on March 31, 1933 by President Franklin Roosevelt as part of his efforts to pull the country out of the Great Depression. The program lasted until July 2 1942, successfully creating work for a half-million unemployed young men across the nation. They were housed, fed, clothed, and taught trade skills while working in forests, parks, and range lands. Paid one dollar a day, each man was required to send home $25 a month; the program provided work for young men as well as support to thousands of families. South Dakota was home to more than 50 camps over the nine-year time span with projects in areas ranging from constructing bridges and buildings in state parks, thinning trees in national forests to mining rock, crushing it into gravel, and graveling roads. Although this volume is set in South Dakota, the photos are representative of camps and men from all over the nation who served in the CCCs.

South Dakota Railroads

9780738532943

$24.99

The arrival of the railroad in South Dakota is directly responsible for the population boom and town development the state experienced in the early 1900s. Enticed by the promise of opportunity, many immigrants and East Coast residents hopped on the train and headed west, many settling in South Dakota. Railroads opened the doorway and made the West what it has become. Using over 200 images, authors Mike Wiese and Tom Hayes take the reader on a historic tour of the depots, trains, and wrecks that defined South Dakota railroading in the early part of the 20th century. Drawing on their immense collections of images and postcards, they tell a story of railroad development and local history in South Dakota.

Wind Cave National Park

9780738523064

$24.99

Wind Cave is one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. Complete with more than 100 miles of surveyed cavern passageways below ground and 28,295 acres of diverse ecology above, Wind Cave National Park is an American treasure with an impressive history. The first recorded discovery of Wind Cave occurred in 1881 when brothers Jesse and Tom Bingham followed the sounds of the whistling wind and came upon the cave. In 1903, the cave and surrounding area became Wind Cave National Park, the seventh national park in the nation and the first created with a cave as its focal point. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a camp near the park headquarters. The CCC built roads and buildings, landscaped and made improvements to better accommodate tours inside the cave.

Forgotten Sioux Falls

9780738594187

$24.99

The falls of the Big Sioux River were formed 14,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, as melting ice eroded a channel down to the bedrock, revealing an abundance of Sioux quartzite. The power and beauty of the falls have attracted people to the area ever since, while Sioux quartzite has been used to construct many of the area's buildings. Incorporated as a city in 1856, Sioux Falls has steadily grown from a population of 17 at the time of establishment to 153,888 as of the 2010 census. As a natural part of that growth, change dictates that the old and worn out should make way for the new and shiny. Lest these things be forever forgotten, this book strives to point out what has been lost, what has been saved, and what can be found if one knows where to look.

Haunted Deadwood

9781609493257

$23.99

The Wild West may be tamed, but Deadwood's notorious past has not relinquished its hold on its corner of the Badlands or its place in popular imagination. And no wonder. If Wild Bill Hickok found its streets a little too rough, it should come as no surprise that the gamblers, gunslingers and general mischief-makers who put down roots at Deadwood's saloons and brothels did so in a ferocious and unforgettable manner. Mark Shadley and Josh Wennes prospect for ghostly activity as industriously as the town's former inhabitants dug for gold--and strike it just as rich. Greet Calamity Jane, Al Swearingen and a host of other characters as ready-made for haunting as they ever were for television.

De Smet

9781467113557

$24.99

Hordes of pioneers moved west at a time when Dakota Territory was still unsettled. When the railroad came to town, this land of opportunity soon became a small town called De Smet. Through the years, muddy streets and wooden shacks were replaced with brick and mortar, and the little town grew into a county seat. The hallmark of De Smet comes from the pen of Laura Ingalls Wilder, when she wrote five of her Little House books set in the community. Ensuing years saw the demolition of several of De Smet's heritage buildings, but others remain today, and the validity of these structures bring untold numbers to view them. Long-standing traditions, such as Old Settler's Day, have remained within the borders of the community and are still an exciting part of the town's history.

Cheyenne River Sioux, South Dakota

9780738523187

$24.99

The Sioux constitute a diverse group of tribes who claimed and controlled almost a quarter of the continental U.S. from the late 1700s to the 1860s. The name Sioux was coined by French traders and was taken from the Anishinabe word Nadoweisiw-eg, meaning little snake or enemy. The rival Chippewa (Ojibway/Anishinabe) tribe used this term to describe the group. The Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, a central part of the Great Sioux Reservation, is home to four bands of the Western Lakota Sioux prominently featured in this book: the Minnicoujou, Itazipco, Siha Sapa, and Oohenumpa.

Watertown and Codington County, South Dakota

9780738519746

$24.99

The picturesque, gently rolling hills of northeastern South Dakota were formed by glaciers 20,000 years ago. A French cartographer first mapped the area in 1838, calling it Coteau des Prairies,-French for 'Hills of the Prairies.' On these hills sits Codington County, which got its name from the Reverend G.S. Codington, a traveling preacher based in Watertown. On August 7, 1878, Kampeska was named the first county seat. At the same time, railroad lines were extended from Minnesota into South Dakota, leading to a great influx of population known as the Great Dakota Boom. The rails only went as far as the Big Sioux River, which was east of Kampeska, so by the end of the year, the entire town up and moved to meet the railroad. With its new location came a new name: Watertown. An influx of German and Norwegian settlers in the early 1900s brought Codington County close to its current population of over 25,000.

Watertown and Codington County, South Dakota

Black Hills Gold Rush Towns

9780738577494

$24.99

Paha Sapa, the Black Hills, sacred land of the Lakota Indians, had long been the destination for prospectors. In 1874, Gen. George Armstrong Custer conducted an expedition into the Black Hills confirming rumors of gold. The findings of the expedition were widely publicized and the gold rush began. Unable to stem the tide of prospectors seeking their fortunes, the federal government opened Black Hills Native American land to settlement in 1877. During the rush, from 1874 to 1879, unknown numbers of mines were worked and more than 400 mining camps and towns sprang up in the gulches overnight. When the mines played out, most of the settlements died. Black Hills Gold Rush Towns looks at the mining towns that once flourished.

1972 Black Hills Flood, The

9781467161206

$24.99

Over 50 years have passed since the Black Hills flood swept through western South Dakota in 1972, leaving tragedy in its wake. This book explores the extent of the damage through images that highlight Rapid City, Keystone, and the surrounding Black Hills. Dignitaries, including Sen. George McGovern, visited the Black Hills in the aftermath; these visitors, along with the actions taken for recovery, make an appearance in the story. Today, the Black Hills are a tourist destination, with Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park being the most well-known attractions. /Corey Christianson has spent years researching the 1972 Black Hills flood. She was a part of the 50th commemoration of the flood, for which she, along with a team of talented individuals, created an award-winning exhibit about the flood and the recovery of the Black Hills. The images in this book are from the Rapid City Public Library, US Air Force, Keystone Area Historical Society, and other organizations that strive to remember, honor, and commemorate the flood. /

Cover image for 1972 Black Hills Flood, The, isbn: 9781467161206

The Ku Klux Klan in South Dakota

9781467154246

$24.99

A startling rise and retreat

In the 1920s, a reborn Ku Klux Klan slithered into South Dakota. Bold at times, the group intimidated citizens in every county. KKK anti-Catholicism sentiment resulted in the murder of Father Arthur Belknap of Lead. Idealized Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore, operated as a white supremacist and KKK leader. In 1925, animosity between the KKK and Fort Meade soldiers came to a clash one night in Sturgis. The clatter of two borrowed .30 caliber Browning cooled machine guns split the air over the heads of a Klan gathering across the valley. Author Arley Fadness follows the Klan’s trail throughout the Rushmore state.

Cover image for The Ku Klux Klan in South Dakota, isbn: 9781467154246

Gregory and Charles Mix Counties

9780738533223

$24.99

In 1804, Lewis and Clark navigated the Missouri River by keelboat, exploring the river border between the two future counties of Gregory and Charles Mix. Their discovery and exploration of the territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase unleashed the movement west and its subsequent settlement. The area, first described in exploration journals as rich in vegetation and wildlife, remains a scenic wonder.

Since Lewis and Clark's exploration, the area has had its share of interesting history. Using over 200 historic photographs, Gregory and Charles Mix Counties awakens the area's past and highlights some of its most unique attributes.

WNAX 570 Radio

9780738540191

$24.99

Life on the northern plains was lonely in the early 20th century. Farmers and ranchers went for weeks without hearing any voices other than those of their families. Then, in 1922, Al Madson, proprietor of a Yankton radio parts shop, made a radio transmitter. He formed a broadcasting company, and on November 25, 1922, WNAX broadcast its first program. People of the northern plains now had a daily "visitor." Gurney Seed and Nursery Company owned the station for its first 16 years, adding distinctive innovations to its programming. In its constant commitment to agriculture, the station has influenced the history of the five-state area it covers. Lawrence Welk got his start there. Wynn Speece, known as the Neighbor Lady, still broadcasts daily after starting at WNAX in 1941.

Brookings

9780738577760

$24.99

Located on the Coteau des Prairies, the community initially named Medary began drawing settlers in the 1850s. Driven away in 1858 by an American Indian uprising, settlers began returning in 1869, and by 1879 Brookings had become a permanent settlement. This was followed two years later with the establishment of a land-grant institution, then called South Dakota State Agricultural College and now South Dakota State University (SDSU). Over 130 years after their founding, the city of Brookings and SDSU, now a Division I university, continue to attract people from around the world and reaffirm their places as prominent South Dakota landmarks. Explore Brookings through a rich variety of images, many of which are being published here for the first time. These photographs trace the growth of both Brookings and SDSU and highlight the crucial relationship that they share.

Aberdeen

9780738598963

$24.99

The Industrial Revolution, along with free land, created fierce competition among American railroad companies to connect the country with a web of track. Goods, as well as people, needed to be transported. The railroads would create towns, then profit from the sale of the land and transporting of people and goods. The plan worked brilliantly, as there were no other means of transportation--or roads--to these new communities. Aberdeen, platted in 1881, was known as an "end of line" stop for several years. During this time, the town boomed into a city. Main Street sprawled southward, and wooden boomtown businesses were quickly replaced with elaborate brick buildings, some six stories tall. Examples of Aberdeen's eclectic style of architecture, spanning nearly 60 years, can be found within Images of America: Aberdeen. Many of these treasures still exist today; others, along with their lost stories, are forever preserved here.

Sturgis, South Dakota 1878-1960

9780738531717

$24.99

Sturgis, named for Col. Samuel Sturgis of the U.S. Seventh Calvary, was established in 1878 as a "no holds barred" supply center for Fort Meade. Laid out by Jeremiah Wilcox, an in-law of Colonel Sturgis, Sturgis had an ample representation of saloons and gambling dens. In fact, Sturgis became known as "Scooptown," because of the regularity with which these establishments "scooped" the pay from Fort Meade soldiers' pockets. Now home to a thriving and active community, Sturgis has changed over the years but remains a colorful and fascinating area rich in history and character.

In 1938, motorcycle enthusiast J.C. "Pappy" Hoel got a few friends together for a weekend of friendly competition, picnicking, and a tour of the Black Hills. Today, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is known worldwide.

Black Hills National Forest

9780738583709

$24.99

Once vital to fire prevention and detection, most of the Black Hills National Forest historic lookout towers now serve primarily as hiking destinations. The first crude lookout structures were built at Custer Peak and Harney Peak in 1911. Since that time, more than 20 towers have been constructed in the area. The first lookout towers were built of wood, most replaced by steel or stone. The Civilian Conservation Corps was instrumental in constructing fire towers during the 1930s and 1940s. One of the most famous and architecturally and aesthetically valued towers is the Harney Peak Fire Lookout--situated on the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains. Harney Peak is among a number of Black Hills towers listed on the National Historic Lookout Register. Over 200 vintage images tell the story of not only the historic fire towers but those who manned them. Perched atop high peaks in remote locations, fire lookout personnel spent countless hours scanning the forest, pinpointing dangers, often experiencing the powerful wrath of lightning strong enough to jolt them off their lightning stools.

Custer County

9780738534381

$24.99

Custer County, South Dakota, is trees and prairies, Black Hills and buffalo, small towns and friendly people, mining and logging, farming and ranching, history and memories. It is the home of the Crazy Horse Monument. Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park, where the Civilian Conservation Corps left many legacies, are here as well. But the individuals who did the everyday work are the ones who truly made a difference. These are the people who are celebrated within these pages, which contain over 220 vintage photographs, mostly from private collections. The only thing missing is the aroma of sawmills in operation that used to permeate Custer City. As the Custer Chamber of Commerce says, "You should see the Hills from here."

Standing Rock

9781467114998

$24.99

The Standing Rock Reservation is home to 8,250 Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people of the Oceti Sakowin Nation. It is located in south-central North Dakota and in north-central South Dakota. The reservation is the sixth largest in the United States, with a land area of 3,571 square miles. It comprises all of Sioux County, North Dakota, Corson County, South Dakota, and small tracts of northern Dewey and Ziebach Counties in South Dakota. The tribe has a very rich culture and history, both of which are showcased in this series of photographs of the Standing Rock Reservation and its people.

On This Day in South Dakota History

9781467119351

$21.99

South Dakota is quietly nestled in the grasslands and Black Hills, but its history is far less hidden. One day at a time, author Brad Tennant presents intriguing, event-driven anecdotes of state history. On July 17, 1925, the state American Legion passed a resolution to initiate American Legion baseball. On April 29, 1930, Congress passed an act honoring the deceased chiefs of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the valiant men who made the supreme sacrifice in service in World War I. Celebrate an entire year of history in the Mount Rushmore State or enjoy it one day at a time.

Rapid City

9780738541402

$24.99

With the opening of the Black Hills region of South Dakota due to the discovery of gold in 1874, the business-savvy founders of Rapid City, in 1876, saw the potential of this area as a focus for urban development. It was nestled within the beauty of the Black Hills, rich in natural resources, adjacent to a viable water source and in line with major trade routes. Thus, a thriving commercial district evolved, the architecture of which reflects the distinctive periods of a community's growth from a frontier "hay camp" town to a regional metropolitan center. The built environment of Rapid City embodies and exemplifies the skill of local craftsman in interpreting the prevailing stylistic trends, the utilization of local materials, and other cultural influences. All of these elements provide Rapid City with an identifiable character and sense of place that is, clearly and uniquely, South Dakota.

Fall River County and Hot Springs

9780738551876

$24.99

Fall River County has a history built around water. Early industries, such as the Refinite Mineral Processing Plant at Ardmore, were built to enhance the water; other businesses--bathhouses in Hot Springs and Edgemont, the Michael J. Fitzmaurice Veterans Home (originally named the Soldiers Home), and the VA Black Hills Medical Center (known by longtime residents as the Battle Mountain Sanitarium) in Hot Springs--were established here because naturally warm water and the moderate climate enhanced their missions. Back in the day, small towns had flour mills, creameries, and ice companies, and the towns flourished with each industrial boom. Out in the county, on the government-run experimental farm, crops were tested and people attended agricultural classes and meetings. Oil wells were drilled, sandstone was quarried, and farmers and ranchers worked the land and the cattle. Through the years, county residents have been warm and welcoming, much like the water.

Rosebud Sioux

9780738534473

$24.99

The Sicangu (burnt thighs) received their name when some of the Lakota peoples' legs were burned in a great prairie fire. The French later named them Brule, and two large groups of the band would be settled on two reservations, Rosebud and Lower Brule in South Dakota. Author Donovin Sprague examines the history of the Rosebud Sioux through a collection of photographs and personal family interviews.

Rapid City

9780738551845

$24.99

Rapid City, "the Summer Playground of America," was founded in 1876 by gold seekers, fueled by a rush to the Black Hills following Gen. George Custer's 1874 expedition. When the railroad arrived a decade later, cattlemen replaced prospectors, and Rapid City remained a hub of activity. By the end of World War I, the popularity of the automobile and newly constructed roads helped to shape area tourism. Mount Rushmore, 23 miles distant, was under construction in 1927, and the new Hotel Alex Johnson was completed in 1928. Together they were natural draws, complementing the pine-scented beauty surrounding Rapid City and making the city the center of western hospitality. As World War II ended, the traveling public again sought out Rapid City and its surrounding attractions as its destination for that memorable vacation out West. Today not much has changed. The Hotel Alex Johnson continues to be a landmark headquarters for tour operators, and Mount Rushmore remains a premier visitor site. And now Rapid City is further enhanced by the City of Presidents project, a work in progress in its historic downtown district.

Black Hills Gold Rush Towns

9781467113977

$24.99

Rising out of the prairie, the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming had long been rumored to have promising quantities of gold. Sacred to the Lakota, the Black Hills was part of the land reserved for them in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868. However, the tide of prospectors seeking their fortune in the Black Hills was difficult to stem. Members of the 1874 Custer expedition, lead by Gen. George Armstrong Custer, found gold. In 1875, scientists Henry Newton and Walter Jenney conducted an expedition and confirmed the rumors. By 1876, the trickle of prospectors and settlers coming to the Black Hills was a flood. The US government realized that keeping the interlopers out was impossible, and in 1877 the Black Hills was officially opened to settlement. In this sequel to their Black Hills Gold Rush Towns book, the authors expand their coverage of Black Hills towns during the gold-rush era.

Fall River County and Hot Springs

9780738519999

$24.99

The unsung heroes of Fall River County made the area what it is. They were the men at the lumberyard, the pioneers, homesteaders, cowboys, farmers, homemakers, teachers, quarry workers, service station mechanics, blacksmiths, firemen, and the builders of Angostura Dam. Fall River County and Hot Springs: Views from the Past 1881-1955 showcases these everyday people. Each person played a role in the success of the county, from the children whose chores helped to ensure a family's survival to the visionaries who built irrigation ditches.

Sandstone quarries and buildings, sod houses and mansions, cattle and cowboys, work and play, and other images of daily lives are featured within these pages. Using over 200 vintage images and accompanying captions, author Peggy Sanders brings to life the rich history of the area and the incredible residents who made it all possible.

Historic Vermillion and Clay County

9780738520278

$24.99

From its earliest settlement in the Vermillion River Valley, Vermillion and Clay County has long been a coveted region in the Dakota Territory. Once inhabited by Omaha and Ponca tribes, the area was later home to the Dakota Indians. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark expedition to the area to survey the territory. In August of 1804, Lewis and Clark stood atop Spirit Mound and surveyed the beautiful landscape we know now as Clay County.

Throughout the years, Native Americans, pioneers, frontiersman, farmers, and merchants have made Clay County home. Historic Vermillion and Clay County captures the history, development, and changing landscape of the area in almost 200 vintage images.