By John Andrews
I had never been to Freeman’s Schmeckfest until last Friday night. As a lifelong South Dakotan I’m almost ashamed to admit that, but it’s true. It’s even more embarassing considering I’ve lived just 30 miles away for the past four years. At least I had the “but it’s two hours away” excuse when [...]
By Ruth Steil
We like cake here at South Dakota Magazine. But, who doesn’t — especially cake with a caramel filling? While skimming through recipe books, I came across a recipe for Caramel Latte Cake. It starts with a box mix that makes it easier, but the topping on the cake is real whipped cream. Actually [...]
By John Andrews
It used to be that West River ranchers were so isolated on their spreads it was a big deal to communicate with people who didn’t live in the same house as you. Not so with the Internet.
I found a neat Web site run by Matthew Trask, a 30-year-old rancher near Elm Springs in [...]
I wasn’t that impressed when Chicagoans placed plastic cows all over their city. What’s wrong with real cows?
And then I saw a plug for artificial fireflies. Are they that hard to find in most parts of the United States these days? They are as thick as, uh, flies in the creek below by house. [...]
Readers of David Laskin’s riveting book The Children’s Blizzard might remember the story of the Jerauld County teacher and her students who became lost in the 1888 blizzard and tied themselves together with scarves so no one would fall behind. Finally the teacher and the kids came upon a haystack with a pitchfork. The boys [...]
by Roger Holtzmann
FOLKS IN THE Black Hills who woke up under a couple feet of snow yesterday might not believe it, but it’s true: spring is on the way. I know this is so because I spotted my first toilet sitting by the curb this morning.
Like many cities, Yankton stages a citywide clean-up each spring. [...]
By John Andrews
Celia Benson’s new book chronicling the history of Minnehaha County’s rural schools started with a small, black and white photo of a one-room school. “The schoolhouse is gone, and soon, few people will remember it ever existed,” she writes. “The picture itself is one-of-a-kind. What was to become of it?”
Benson, of Fergus Falls, [...]
By Bernie Hunhoff
I thought all horses were wild until I was a teenager. Every horse that ever stepped foot on our Yankton County farm was a terror. However, to be honest, we probably never spent more than $25 for a horse. In fact, I remember that on at least one occasion the neighbors gave us [...]
It’s not easy to pass a bill in the South Dakota State Legislature. You might be able to get it through your own committee, only to find the members of your senate or house don’t like it. Or if you can sweet talk it through your own body of the legislature then you go across [...]
By Heidi Marsh
South Dakota has a rich history; so rich that over 100 museums fill our communities with fascinating treasures and art. If exploring the past is on your agenda this month, visit these exhibits:
South Dakota Art Museum, Brookings
Paul Goble: Illustrations from “Adopted by Eagles”
“Men and Women Behind Marghab Linens”
“Harvey Dunn: Select Works”
The Journey Museum, [...]
By John Andrews
I grew up around a lot of lutefisk, which is to be expected coming from a large Norwegian family like I did. My aunts owned the cafe in Lake Norden for more than 60 years, so they became pretty adept at cooking the fish. I remember every winter heading uptown for the annual [...]
Today a nice lady named Velma Lane came in our office with a picture of a 1920 Ford Coupe that was the subject of a story in our current (March/April ‘09) issue.
Roger Wiltz wrote the story about the disapperance of Dr. Fyle, a beloved Geddes doctor. He drove the car to Sioux City on Dec. [...]
By John Andrews
It’s March 16, and every good Finn in South Dakota knows what that means. Today is the day to celebrate St. Urho, the patron saint of Finland who drove grasshoppers from the country’s grape crop.
I spent last weekend in Lake Norden, where on Saturday local Finlanders held their St. Urho’s Day parade. I [...]
By Heidi Marsh
While we always encourage environmental responsibility, this week “going green” takes on a whole new meaning. St. Patrick’s Day kicks off this weekend in South Dakota with two major celebrations.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Downtown Sioux Falls this year. The festivities will begin March 17 with the Painting of the Shamrock ceremony [...]
By John Andrews
I don’t think I’m disturbed in any way (although friends and colleagues may challenge that assertion), but cemeteries have always fascinated me. It’s probably because I’m so interested in history. At least that’s what I tell myself.
So my curiosity was piqued when I heard about the unique headstones that stand in Rose Hill [...]