Woonsocket - SDN Communications

Woonsocket
South Dakota
bridge to
the churc
n
melo
passing
16
h
stand
the time
T
he city of Woonsocket began in 1883
at the junction of the Chicago,
Milwaukee, and Saint Paul Railroads.
The town grew so quickly that it was
called “Boomstrucket.”
Now farmers near Woonsocket grow
thousands of watermelons, muskmelons,
and pumpkins each year. These melons
are sold all over the region. In addition
to watermelons, this community is also
known for its water. Woonsocket is
nicknamed “The Town with the Beautiful
Lake” and is world famous for its
artesian wells (ar-tee-shun welz)
[page 100]. In the early 1900s, one huge
well shot water hundreds of feet into
the air! There are around 15,000
artesian wells in South Dakota.
Southeast
Region
Enjoy
some
juicy
Woonsocket
et
Woonlastioonc: 6k55
Popu
miles
: 0.79 sq.
Land area
anborn
County: S
watermelon!
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w
en vie
a gold
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
17
Spencer
South Dakota
a peek at Spencer
a
torn
lone
18
house
age
am
do d
I
n South Dakota, tornadoes are
common. Usually they are small and
cause little damage, but in 1998 a
tornado hit the town of Spencer in a
big way. In fact, this was one of the
most powerful tornadoes in South
Dakota history! Meteorologists
(mee-tee-or-oll-o-jists) [page 101] say
that during the storm, winds reached
speeds of up to 246 miles per hour!
Studying these tornadoes will help
scientists warn people about future
tornadoes. Fortunately, people from
all over the state helped the town of
Spencer clean up the damage.
In 2003, 67 tornadoes hit eastern
South Dakota in one night. It was
named “Tornado Tuesday.”
Southeast
Region
Spence
r
The winds are
picking up, and the
Populat
ion: 1
Land ar
ea: 0.26 54
sq. mil
County:
McCook es
sky is dark. A tornado is on the way!
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home
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
run!
Spencer
•
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
19
Garretson
South Dakota
Devil’s Gu
lch
n
canyo
Palis
e
escap
ade
20
s Pa
rk
N
ear Garretson, we can see
Devil’s Gulch, where Jesse James
made a daring escape in 1876.
After James robbed a Minnesota
bank, an angry mob chased him to
Devil’s Gulch in South Dakota, where
he made a risky jump across the
canyon and escaped. After the
escape, James hid out in Palisades
State Park, which is now a popular
spot for camping, hiking, and
rock climbing.
Many geologists (jee-ol-oh-jists)
[page 101] also study the rocks in
the park’s 50-foot vertical peaks and
quartzite cliffs. This park is one of
few areas in the nation where
pipestone rock is found.
Southeast
Region
A reckless outlaw,
Garretso,1n65
a daring escape ,
n: 1
Populatio
miles
: 1 .49 sq.
Land area innehaha
County: M
and a legendary tale .
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rock cli
mbing
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
opport
unity
Garretson
•
Spencer
•
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
21
Northeast
Region
Place y
own ph our
oto here
!
Me on
he Northeast region of the state was
once covered by glaciers (glay-shurs)
[page 101]. These sheets of ice left behind
glacial lakes and gentle hills, making the
Northeast a perfect place to farm.
In this region, rye and oats are
important crops. Farmers here also
raise dairy cows. Since so much of the
nation’s crops and livestock come
from South Dakota, you could say that
farmers in the Northeast are helping to
feed the country and even the world!
a farm
!
eese
Canada g
22
T
South Dakota’s winter season is
known for heavy snowfall and
blizzards. During severe cold waves,
temperatures can dip to 30 F below
zero at night.
Northeast
Look
Region
beyond the book
2.) About what size is an acre of farmland?
a.) tennis court
c.) ping-pong table
b.) football field d.) Lake Superior
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Northeast
Region
Northeast Region
1.) What kind of foods come from dairy cows?
23
Brookings
South Dakota
rdens
McCrory Ga
part of
SDSU c
ampus
m
useu
M
s
’
kota
dren
Chil outh Da
of S
24
Photos by South Dakota Tourism
www.travelsd.com
N
o place in the Northeast offers a
better selection of flowers, trees, and
shrubs than McCrory Gardens. Since
the 1960s, the gardens have been a
part of South Dakota’s landscape. The
area includes 20 acres (ay-kers) [page
100] of floral gardens and 45 acres of
arboretum (ar-bor-ee-tum) [page 100].
Brookings is also home to South
Dakota State University, the state’s
largest university. The Children’s
Museum of South Dakota is also
located in Brookings, which is the
first children’s museum in the entire
state. Mama T. rex and her baby boy
Max are the only full-size, permanent,
animatronic T. rex dinosaurs on
display in the whole United States.
Northeast
Region
yes as
ur e
w
yo
ory Ga
rd
cCr
M
e
’
e
olors da
zz
. C
s
l
n
Brookings
Population: 22,056
Land area: 11.9 sq. miles
County: Brookings
e
en
Brooki
ter
ng
s
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Brookings •
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
Spencer Garretson
•
•
Mama T. rex at the
of SD
Children’s Museum
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
25
Rest Area
Watertown
Terry Redlin Art Center
W
atertown Facts:
• Watertown is the hometown of
Terry Redlin, a famous artist.
Redlin painted pictures of wildlife
and the great outdoors.
gre
at
ou
• After years of success, Redlin and
his son, Charles, built a gallery in
Watertown to showcase over 150 of
Terry Redlin’s original paintings.
tdo
ors
• The Mellette House was built in 1883,
by South Dakota’s first governor,
Arthur Calvin Mellette. The house has
been beautifully restored and includes
a museum with original South Dakota
historic items.
se
Mellette Hou
26
Photo by South Dakota Tourism
Northeast
Look
Region
beyond the book
1.) Draw your favorite South Dakota scene:
Watertown
Population: 21
,482
Land area: 15.2
sq. miles
County: Codingt
on
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Watertown •
Brookings •
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
e
gees
Spencer Garretson
•
•
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
27
Clark
South Dakota
mashed p
otato wrest
Little Fellow Memorial
Depot
Railroad
nter
ritage Ce
e
H
is
a
v
Beau
28
Photos by South Dakota Tourism
ling
F
armers in Clark grow hundreds of
bushels of potatoes each year. To
celebrate this crop, the town hosts
Potato Days every summer. Visitors
can sample potato recipes, participate
in a french fry eating contest, or watch
a potato parade. The festival’s worldfamous and messiest event is mashed
potato wrestling. Clark is also home to
a company that makes nine different
flavors of potato chips!
Also in Clark, Little Fellow Memorial
stands in honor of a pioneer boy and
his love for the train. When he died at a
young age, the conductor missed seeing
him every day, so he stopped and cared
for his grave. Even today, the tradition
is carried on by the city of Clark.
Northeast
Region
When people think of South
Dakota crops, they usually think
of
wheat, corn, and soybeans.
In Clark, the potato is king.
Clarnk: 1,139
tio
Popula .3 sq. miles
rea: 1
Land a nty: Clark
Cou
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Clark •
• Watertown
Brookings •
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
rs
line of classic ca
Spencer Garretson
•
•
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
29
Stockholm
South Dakota
“Old Indian Church”
Stockh
olm ra
ilroad
owers
wild sunfl
30
T
he Brown Earth Presbyterian
Church near Stockholm has been
around for over a century and is a
South Dakota historic landmark.
It is also known as the “Old Indian
Church” because both Native
Americans and Swedish immigrants
(im-uh-grents) [page 101] worshiped
here in the late 1800s. In fact,
Swedish immigrants named the town
of Stockholm after the capital of
Sweden. Today the church is empty
except for occasional visitors who
want to experience what life was like
in Stockholm over a century ago.
How many churches are in your
hometown? How many religions?
Northeast
Region
The Brown Earth Presbyterian
Church holds a lot of
Stockhol
m
Populati
Land area on: 108
: 0.44 sq.
miles
County: G
rant
history!
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Stockholm
•
Clark• • Watertown
Brookings •
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
olm
home sweet Stockh
Spencer Garretson
•
•
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
31
Webster
South Dakota
on
erno
aft
e
driv
pumpkin patch
l
nty mura
Day Cou
32
L
ong ago, pumpkins were thought
to remove freckles and cure snake
bites! Although more advanced
medicines exist today, pumpkins are
still an important part of prairie life.
Every year the town of Webster hosts
Pumpkin Fest, South Dakota’s only
pumpkin festival. During this
October event, you can watch the
kites soar at the Dakota Fest Kite
Fly or give your eyes a treat during
the Autumn Parade of Lights. The
festival also includes a classic car
show and hay rides. Plus, if you stick
around for a few months, you can
ride on the Glacial Lakes Snowmobile
Trail, one of the most beautiful trails
in the state.
Northeast
Region
Paint the town
orange at
Pumpkin
Fest!
r
Websnt:e1,886
tio
Popula .49 sq. miles
:
rea 1
Land a unty: Day
Co
My South Dakota Book
Road Trip Tracker
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Webster •
• Stockholm
Clark• • Watertown
Brookings •
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
grain by the train
Spencer Garretson
•
•
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
33
Sisseton
South Dakota
powwow participant
bu
stlin
gd
ow
nto
Fort
34
wn
ton
Sisse
H
ear the pounding of drums, see the
colorful costumes, and enjoy the
native food at the Sisseton
Wahpeton Dakota Nation’s Annual
Wacipi (Wah-see-pee), or powwow
(pow-wow) [page 102]. This powwow
is one of South Dakota’s oldest
traditions, going strong since 1867.
The two tribes that make up the
powwow are the Sisseton-Wahpeton
(Wah-peh-tun) Sioux Tribe and the
Flandreau-Santee (Flan-drew San-tee)
Sioux Tribe.
Next, we’ll stop by Fort Sisseton,
where original buildings from 1864
still exist! Fort Sisseton provided a
stong defense for soldiers long ago
because of the thick trees and
nearby lake.
Northeast
Region
BOOM!
BOOM
Powwows have beating
drums,
colorful
and
Sisseton
costumes,
Population: 2,47
0
Land area: 1 .5
7 sq. miles
County: Rober
ts
festive dancing.
My South Dakota Book
Road Trip Tracker
W
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Webster •
• Sisseton
• Stockholm
Clark• • Watertown
Brookings •
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
Spencer Garretson
•
rts Co
Robe
house
ourt
unty C
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
35
New Effington
South Dakota
T
biking trip
Main Street
front yard
36
flowers
housands of years ago, Lake
Agassiz (Ag-ah-see) stretched from
Canada down to the North DakotaSouth Dakota border, near where New
Effington is today. The lake was 700
miles long by 200 miles wide! Lake
Agassiz formed about 12,000 years
ago when a giant glacier melted. Over
time the lake dried up and drained
into the Hudson Bay, leaving small
lakes and fertile land for today’s
farmers. Scientists have even found
fish fossils and spearheads in the
area, hinting that early humans
lived there.
What similarities does your life have
with the humans that lived 12,000
years ago? What differences are there?
Northeast
Region
New Effington
used to be on
the south shore of
one of the most massive
lakes in the
world!
gton
n
fi
f
E
New tion: 256
Popula
. miles
: 0.3 sq s
a
e
r
a
d
t
Lan
: Rober
County
My South Dakota Book
Road Trip Tracker
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New Effington •
• Sisseton
Webster •
• Stockholm
Clark• • Watertown
Brookings •
Woonsocket •
Mitchell •
white picket fence
Spencer Garretson
•
Sioux Falls ••
Brandon
Beresford •
Dakota Dunes •
37
Aberdeen
South Dakota
Storybook
A
uthor L. Frank Baum lived in
Aberdeen for three years before he
wrote his most famous novel, The
Wizard of Oz. Today you can visit
Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the
Cowardly Lion at the annual Oz
Festival at Storybook Land.
Land
Wizard of Oz up close
E
38
y
te Colon
Hutteri
vergreen
Aberdeen offers another cultural
tour—one of South Dakota’s
Hutterite (Hut-ter-ite) colonies. There
are 53 Hutterite colonies in the state.
The Hutterites value community and
family, so they live together in small
communities. Some make their own
electricity, craft furniture, and raise
crops and livestock. In fact, the
Hutterites raise about 80 percent of
South Dakota’s turkeys.