Today, as we drive our cars across highways in South Dakota, the idea of this land being anything other than what it is now--small towns, big farms, and wide-open spaces--is hard to picture. Barely more than a century ago Dakota was a largely uncharted area inhabited by the native people who had lived here for centuries. Can you imagine there being no Sioux Falls, no state capitol, and no Mount Rushmore? The inroads to settlement in Dakota start with some recognized explorers of the 19th century--Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, Joseph Nicollet and John Charles Fremont, George Catlin, John James Audubon, William S. Harney, Alfred Sully, and George Custer, to name a few.
Exploration of the Dakotas will examine two types of explorers: men who investigated the new territory as part of military campaigns and men who documented the new land through their artistic interpretations. Whether they came to Dakota to study the area, to protect white settlers, or to open up the West, they forever changed the landscape known as Dakota.
Military Explorers
Artistic Explorers
Map Activity
These men who made their way into Dakota provided the world with sources of information about a rapidly changing landscape. The military personnel who investigated this area mapped large portions of the region, recorded their observations of the land, and proved they could survive a harsh climate. The artists who came to Dakota offered visual documentation of the landscapes and native peoples. Their works captured and helped tell the story of a way of life that soon disappeared. Each explorer featured in this exhibit helped pave the way for others to follow.
Thank you to the following organizations and individuals who helped make this exhibit possible:
Gilcrease Museum
Independence National Historical Park
Iowa State University
Joslyn Art Museum
Minnesota Historical Society
National Archives and Records Administration
National Portrait Gallery
New York Public Library
Pipestone County Historical Society
Siouxland Heritage Museum Volunteers
South Dakota State Historical Society
State Historical Society of Iowz, Des Moines
University of Evansville
U. S. Military History Institute
Dave Rambow
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© Siouxland Heritage Museums 2004