Pat Clark-Zellmer & Gene Zellmer
Pat's Cell: 605-366-7565
Gene's Cell: 605-366-4499

The Clark-Zellmer Team

Sioux Falls, SD Area Guide

History

Early explorers were attracted to the waters of the Sioux Falls, and an 1804 journal entry from the Lewis and Clark expedition describes the falls of the “Soues River.”  The region was explored again by John C. Fremont and French scientist Joseph Nicollet in 1838.  The first major visit to the area was by Philander Prescott, an explorer, trader, and trapper who camped here overnight in 1832.  Other descriptions of Sioux Falls include the notes of Captain James Allen who led a military expedition here in 1844 and descriptions published in “The States and Territories of the Great West” in 1856.

Land speculation in Minnesota and Iowa in the 1850s eventually turned toward the Big Sioux River Valley, and the Falls were founded by land speculators hoping to become wealthy by claiming town sites here before settlements and railroads were introduced.  The Dakota Land Company of St. Paul and the Western Town Company of Dubuque, Iowa claimed the land in 1856 due to its scenic landscape and the water power from the Falls.  Each company made claims for 320-acres, and they were able to work together for mutual protection.  The companies responded to the threat of native tribes by building a barricade of turf named “Fort Sod”, and that year seventeen men spent their first winter in Sioux Falls.

For more information about the history and culture of Sioux Falls, please visit the official website: http://www.siouxfalls.org/.

Attractions

Sioux Falls is the largest city in South Dakota and offers a small-town atmosphere with big city entertainment options.  Popular hotspots include the Wells Fargo Cinedome at the Washington Pavillion, the Falls of the Sioux River, and the Thunder Road family fun park and the Great Plains Zoo.  There are an abundance of museums and historical sites such as the Museum of Visual Materials, Old Courthouse Museum, St. Joseph Cathedral, the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial, the Center for Western Studies, and Historic Downtown Sioux Falls.  Many cultural events take place throughout the year at the Husby Performing Arts Center at the Washington Pavilion.

For more information about things to see and do in Sioux Falls, please visit the Sioux Falls site.

Parks & Recreation

The Sioux Falls park system consists of 70 parks, several public golf courses as well as 2 private country clubs, a baseball stadium, an ice and recreation center, 5 community centers, and 14 undeveloped sites.  The park system also handles maintenance of these areas including street right-of-ways, storm water detention ponds, and drainageways.

For more information about the Sioux Falls park system and park facilities, please visit their site.