South Sioux Falls, South Dakota facts for kids
South Sioux Falls was a small town in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. It was a separate community from 1890 until 1955. The town was located where part of Sioux Falls is today, along Minnesota Avenue (which is now South Dakota Highway 115). It stretched from 33rd Street to 57th Street.
Contents
The Story of South Sioux Falls
How South Sioux Falls Began
South Sioux Falls started in early 1888. A lawyer and congressman named Richard F. Pettigrew and S. L. Tate gave 4 acres of land for a school. This school was called the Norwegian Lutheran Normal School, which is now Augustana College.
The people living there voted to make it an official city on February 20, 1890. The vote was 63 to 0, showing everyone wanted it to be a city! Mr. Pettigrew hoped it would become a busy industrial area. He even helped pay for a railroad to Pierre and a big meat-packing factory. However, these big plans never fully happened.
Growing Up as a City
At one point, South Sioux Falls covered a large area, about 1,800 acres. It had different businesses like a woolen mill, a soap factory, and a factory that made axle grease. It even had the first airport in the region, called Soo Skyways!
In 1889, a streetcar line opened, connecting South Sioux Falls to Sioux Falls. This made it easier for people to travel between the two places. But the streetcar line closed permanently in 1896. Later, South Sioux Falls became a "bedroom community." This means many people lived there but traveled to Sioux Falls for work. In May 1948, it was officially named a second-class city. By 1950, about 1,600 people lived there, making it the third largest settlement in South Dakota at the time.
Joining Sioux Falls
In the 1940s, people started talking about South Sioux Falls joining Sioux Falls. At first, there was a rule in the state that stopped cities from combining. But the city leaders of South Sioux Falls worked hard to change this rule. In 1951, the state government removed the ban, allowing cities to study if they should merge.
The first vote to combine the cities happened on April 15, 1952. People in South Sioux Falls voted against it, even though people in Sioux Falls voted for it.
A second attempt to merge happened in 1955. This time, the two city governments agreed on the terms. Sioux Falls would take over South Sioux Falls' debts and combine their school districts. On October 18, 1955, the people of South Sioux Falls voted again. This time, 704 people voted to join Sioux Falls, and 227 voted against it. A month later, on November 15, people in Sioux Falls also approved the merger with a large vote of 2,714 to 450.
The two cities officially became one on December 31, 1955. The mayors had planned a special ceremony to take down a "Welcome to South Sioux Falls" sign. But the event was canceled because someone set the sign on fire!
