Trail of Governors facts for kids
The Trail of Governors is a special outdoor display in Pierre, South Dakota, which is the capital city of the state. It features life-size bronze statues of all the people who have served as governors of South Dakota. The project started placing statues in 2012. Its main goal was to have a statue for every past governor. This goal was completed in 2022 when the last of the original statues were put in place.
New statues will be added for future governors after they finish their time in office. This will start with the current Governor, Kristi Noem. Many talented artists have created these statues, including John Lopez, James Van Nuys, James Michael Maher, Lee Leuning, and Sherry Treeby.
How the Trail Grew
The Trail of Governors has grown steadily since it began. Each year, new statues were added, honoring the leaders who helped shape South Dakota.
Statues Added Each Year
- 2012: The very first statues on the trail were of Arthur C. Mellette, Harlan J. Bushfield, and Walter Dale Miller.
- 2013: Statues of Frank Farrar, Harvey L. Wollman, and William J. Janklow were added.
- 2014: South Dakota celebrated its 125th birthday as a state. To mark this, statues of Robert S. Vessey, Peter Norbeck, and George S. Mickelson joined the trail.
- 2015: New statues were put up for Charles N. Herreid, George T. Mickelson, and Richard F. Kneip.
- 2016: The trail welcomed statues of Warren E. Green, Nils Boe, and M. Michael Rounds.
- 2017: Four statues were added this year: Tom Berry, Leslie Jensen, Sigurd Anderson, and Joe Foss.
- 2018: Statues of William H. McMaster, Merrell Q. Sharpe, and Ralph Herseth were placed on the trail.
- 2019: The trail grew with statues of Samuel H. Elrod, Archie M. Gubbrud, and Dennis Daugaard.
- 2021: Statues of Charles H. Sheldon, Coe I. Crawford, and Carl Gunderson were revealed. Their unveiling was delayed by one year.
- 2022: The project finished its first phase of statues. The final additions were Andrew E. Lee, Frank M. Byrne, and William J. Bulow.
