There was a lot of weather action going on in the Midwest that affected this leg, mostly it was constant head, or side wind, we didn't even break 8 mpg. This was the first leg where we had more bugs on the windshield than miles to the gallon.
Our stop is in the town of Presho South Dakota, at the New Frontier RV Campground. We stayed here a couple days last year, on our way to Bismarck North Dakota.
Because we were staying for a week this time I chose a site at the far end of the campground... not sure if it was a wise decision.
The area has wildlife in abundance, because the campground encourages it. There are bird feeders spread throughout the campground, one of them is outside our trailer.
The Pine Siskin; part of the finch family.
Presho is my kind of town, its small, it only has 588 people in it. This town has two gas stations, one café, and a couple of places to get propane. With that said, it is necessary to drive 40 miles to hit a bigger town.
We drove up to the state capitol in Pierre (pronounced peer) and hit the Cultural History Center. go to: https://history.sd.gov/museum/
The Cultural Center is built into the hill. This museum was spectacular... not just because we got in free for being South Dakota residents.
The culture of the Native American Indian has always intrigued me, and I was not lacking here.
What we call the Sioux Nation, they call themselves Oceti Sakowin... The Seven Council Fires.
Dakota (Santee - Who Use Knives)
- Mdewakantonwan (community of the sacred lake)
- Waqpe-kute (who hunt in the woods)
- Waqpe-tonwan or Wahpeton (dwellers among the leaves)
- Sisitonwan or Sisseton (village dwellers)
Nakota
- Ihanktunwan or Yankton (who camp at the end)
- Ihanktunwanna or Yanktonais (who camp at the lesser end)
Lakota
- Titunwan (who live on the prairie)
Prairie Tribes
- Oglala (them scatter them)
- Sicangu or Brule (burned thigh)
- Hunkpapa (who camp by the entrance)
- Hofrwoju or Minneconjou (who plant by the water)
- Llazipco or Sans Arc (no bows)
- Slhasapa or Blackfeet (black feet)
- O'ohenunpa or Two Kettle (cooks their food twice)
That was just the start of the cultural center. The Sioux Nation were living in Minnesota in 1700, but were pushed out by the Ojibwa Nation, so they followed the buffalo (except for the Santee). The Titunwan Sioux reached Missouri by 1740, and the Black Hills by 1800. The Ihanktunwan settled between the Big Sioux and Missouri rivers. Some of the Ihanktunwanna followed the Titunwan into eastern North Dakota.
The Oceti Sakowin became the most powerful nation on the Great Plains.
WANASAPI:
WANASAPI - The Buffalo Hunt, was a spiritual, and necessary event for the Indian Tribes. All the people worked together when it came to the hunt. The Elders chose the time; buffalo dreamers called the Tatanka near; scouts, chosen with ritual, alerted the camp when they located the herd. Akicita (marshals of the camp) set the rules, and named the hunters for the old, widowed, or orphaned. Each hunter prepared his spirit with prayer, and right living; he prepared his weapons. The women who herded the packhorses waited for a signal from the hunters that they had buffalo; they cut the meat down, and loaded the horses; they completed the butchering in camp. If the hunt was good, there would be enough meat for the winter.
The Sioux respect the buffalo, and its relationship with Mother Earth, unlike the Whiteman. Europeans and Americans established trading posts along the Missouri river. One such person was Pierre Chouteau Jr.. He was the grandson of one of the founders of St. Luis, he managed the western department of the American Fur Company. He built the fur trade fort, Fort Pierre.
These forts were manned with U.S. soldiers to protect those traveling through, or working at the fort. Life for the soldier was not a luxurious stay in the wilderness frontier. Fort Pierre was a great example. It had a river, that was it for luxury. Remember, the river was a necessity. Anyway, The fort cost $45,000 dollars to build in 1855, providing the enlisted man "cardboard" houses on stilts to live in. Winters in the Dakota lands were harsh, and Army rations were poor at best, usually stew, beans, hardtack, hash, salt pork bacon (Armour still makes it), coffee, and coarse bread. The mess officers tried growing vegetables, and asked the Sioux for help with meat.
In the early days the Sioux would bring in most of the furs and hides in for trade. By 1860 the railroads started moving west. They hired men like William Cody (Wild Bill Cody) to hunt buffalo to feed the crews building the railroads. The hides did not go to waste, as a Pennsylvania tanner found they could make various leather products from buffalo hides. You are probably figuring out where I am going with this. Between 1872 and 1883, over 9 MILLION buffalo were slaughtered, mainly for the furs and hides. This created a problem with a meat shortage for the Sioux.
The Sioux customs of the home were intriguing to me as well. In their religion the Ksa (Wisdom) created the first lodge. The floor was a circle with Wi (Sun) in the center. The door of the lodge faced to the east, which was the first direction. From that time, all lodges were planned in this manner.
The Tiwahe (household) tipi belonged to the woman, who setup the tipi. The custom of the Sioux was south was held for the women of the Tiwahe; men used the north; the husband took the area to the west, next to his wife. Each person stored their belonging by the wall near their sleeping space. If you were a guest you sat right of the door until invited in further. There was a flow in the tiwahe, sunwise (clockwise) direction; wood and water was stored to the left of the door. Tiwahe goods could be hung from the tipi poles. Good order was essential.
The tipi was a sturdy portable structure made of local materials. it was the only place for a fire. The poles were symbolic of a man's support for his family, forming a tripod. The cover was symbolic of a woman's sheltering of her family; a half circle, pinned on the straight edge, with flaps provided venting. The tipi was kept warm in winter with a liner on the inside, and snow banked up at the bottom of the cover.
As the Whiteman began moving across the continent, the federal government signed the Fort Laramie Treaty in 1851 with the Native American Indians. The Indians agreed to stay away from the Oregon Trail, and other Indian tribes; they agreed to letting the Army built forts along the trail. In return the government would provide food and goods for 50 years. Ya think we kept our end of the bargain? Nope, we reneged, reducing payment to 10 years. I am going to make this story shorter. The government still did not pay up, Indians were starving, creating conflict, resulting in the government holding off on payment for another four years. The government back then was pretty brutal towards the Native American Indians.
In 1862 gold was found in Montana, which led to the creation of the Bozeman Trail. The issue with the trail was that it impeded on the Sioux hunting ground. By 1866 the Sioux were fed up, and Red Cloud, an Oglala chief led several attacks on forts that protected the trail. The Army backed down, a second Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed in 1868, creating the Great Sioux Reservation and set hunting ranges. One other stipulation was that any future agreements required signatures from three-fourths of the adult males.
Man's greed can cause dissention, which was evident in 1874. Again... gold was found in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The U.S. government tried to buy the land, and the Sioux didn't want to sell. The Army tried to keep miners away, to no avail; there were violent protests from the Sioux. Next "dummy" move from the government... chase the Sioux to Little Big Horn, so that Army troops could be wiped out. The Sioux were not Christians, they did not turn the other cheek in this case. When we are treated wrong we all have the tendency to want to fight back. The government felt that the attack was unwarranted, and cut Sioux Treaty payments, letting the Indian tribes starve. In the end, without three-fourths agreement, the Sioux ceded the Black Hills to the government. I found that revolting in the fact that one of the stipulations the government made was that any future agreement was void if not signed by three-fourths of the adult males, yet they accepted the land. I'm done ranting on this one.
Here is a fun tidbit. Who remembers as a child getting into a fight with someone, and throwing stuff at their foe? Well that occurred at least one time during a battle between the Sioux and Crow Nations. This is a quote from Cloud Shield in 1819. "The Crow and the Sioux used all their arrows and then threw dirt at each other".
Carol and I have always been impressed with their record keeping. It was done in what was called "Winter Count". 
The tribal Elder, and keeper would chose the event of the year that would be documented, and symbols were used to record events:
Notice the documenting of smallpox 1801-02, and the meteor shower in November 1833. Unlike todays society, they only documented what was truly important. They did not find it necessary to document that Running in the Snow pigged out on buffalo at the annual party.
Where the Europeans tracked using hours, minutes, seconds, days, months, years, and decades, the Sioux tracked with nights, moons, winters, and generations.
Time was marching on in the Dakota Territory. The Missouri river was a major contributor in the growing frontier. Like the Indians, Whiteman learned to travel up and down the river. Whiteman learned from the Indians how to make boats that could run the river... we called them keelboats or bullboats, because of their shallow draft. Steamboats didn't start traveling the river until after 1831; Pierre Chouteau's "Yellowstone" was the first to successfully complete a trip. steamboats kept busy, and by 1870 the railroads were easing some of burden, but by 1900, steamboats were virtually non-existent, the rails had taken over.
Remember that luxurious stagecoach I showed you that was used by the Central Overland Stage Company? this ain't it.
This guy didn't even had doors. Imagine being crammed in, exposed to other passengers bad odors and habits, with the only opportunity to get out only at a rest station. That rest station being more for the horses than you. There would be enough time to buy something to eat and possibly take care of business.
A lot of folks were heading west because of the promise of a better life. Once they got there by either stagecoach or covered wagon, they needed a roof over their head. Quite a few family's first homes were made of mud and straw.
Surprisingly, or not, 1 in 8 homestead owners were women.
This is Miss Urlein in front of her sod home.
Settlers made their first home out of whatever they could find. Some would create their home underground, other used sod bricks, and still others, tarpaper and rough lumber. Those who stayed would build wood frame houses as soon as possible. Ladies you're going to love this. The woman of the house cleaned the floors, walls, and furniture using kerosene. You ask why... to keep fleas and bedbugs out. I can see you smokers may already be squirming over that note.
Gee, where did they get those nice sod bricks... no, it wasn't Lowes, Home Depot, or Ace, they didn't sell that kind of brick. The bricks were handmade with mud and straw, then set out to dry.
Having driven through some of the plains states the last few years, I can see cold winter nights on the prairie... and we've gone through during the spring. In fact here in South Dakota now, the nights have been near or below freezing, the hottest part of the day near 50. Anyway, they found a way to utilize the grass and straw for heating, just such nights.
Ta Dah, the "fuel press". It compressed hay or straw into bricks for burning.
Some of the women were fortunate to have husbands with deep pockets, and could afford to give their wives the best.
They only make five varieties of alcohol, whiskey, vodka, rum, and an oat whiskey. Their product was very nice, definitely worth the stop. Learn more at: http://www.dakotaspirits.com. After taste testing it was time to head home... after a Walmart stop.
The wife of this household was given the ultimate upgrade in the washing experience, no more hand scrubbing, just load the box and crank the handle.
What made it all possible: The Pre-exemption Act, allowing settlers to claim 160 acres, improve on it, and live on it for six months. After the six months they could purchase the land for $1.25 per acre. The Homestead Act allowed free 160 acres parcels, all the settler needed to do was improve it, then live on it for five years. The Timber Culture Act promised 160 acres, they just had to plant 10 acres in trees. Finally, in 1909 Congress passed the Enlarged Homestead Act. This Act promised 320 acres of land for settlers willing to move to drier climate territories. South Dakota did not participate for the first ten years of the Enlarged Homestead Act, local government didn't want to admit that South Dakota was a dry state, fearing settlers wouldn't come.
One such settler, L. Frank Baum, settled in Aberdeen in 1888 and started a variety store. The store foundered, so he became the editor of the "Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer". The "Pioneer" folded too, so in 1891 he moved to Chicago. Years later he wrote a book about his hardships on the prairie... "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
As America grew, so did the rest of the world. Things that never change usual amount to war. The U.S. was embroiled in several wars before WWI. The government knew they needed to protect the interests of the U.S. overseas, so they increased the Naval fleet. One of the battleships built was named the "South Dakota".
With the commissioning of the ship, the state legislature in 1903 appropriated $5,000 dollars for a silver service. The contract was awarded to Wilmer D. Nelson Company of Pierre to design the service, and manufactured by the Gorham Company of Rhode Island.
The ship was built in 1904, and attached to the Pacific Fleet. Her first assignment was sailing around the world as part of "The Great White Fleet". During WWI the role of the USS South Dakota was to search the South Atlantic for German Raiders, and convoying troop transports across the North Atlantic to France. In 1920 the ship was renamed the USS Huron, and became a flagship. The name change occurred because a new ship was being built and given the name USS South Dakota.
The new USS South Dakota was christened in 1941.
Though she was formally known as the USS South Dakota, the military talked about her, as "Battleship X"; there were no identifying makings and she carried secret new arms. She saw extensive action in the Pacific theatre, shooting down 32 Japanese planes in one battle, and sinking three cruisers at the Battle of Guadalcanal. She came home to San Francisco in 1945, and was decommissioned in 1947. The ship was scrapped in 1962, with some artifacts going on display at a museum in Sioux Falls.
Then we marched a little deeper into the twentieth century.
After the depression era the government made an attempt to do go by the Native American Indians. In 1934 they passed the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The New Deal created the Indian Civilian Conservation Corp, providing work for the Indians. Besides building new homes and communities, it restored some tribal lands and allowed native religion. The government didn't just give the benefits away, they stipulated that reservations had to change tribal government systems. Most of the reservations complied, you noticed I said most. Did the government really allow the Sioux to practice their native religion? In 1880 the government put a stop to them practicing their native way of worship... they took their ritual underground. In 1968 the Sioux challenged the law regarding how they could worship, it took ten years (1978) before Congress passed the Freedom of Indian Religion Act, allowing them to worship in their own way.
We had the opportunity to live the farm life.
We got to milk cows in competition with a milking machine. The object of the exhibit was to show that machinery improved the efficiency and productivity of milking cows. Of course neither of us could beat the machine... it was utterly disastrous.
Technology was running rampant, television was now competing with radio... oh ya, telephone too.
One thing about the 30s and 40s was the fact that you could have more people on your telephone call than you had television stations. See, even to the 50s there was what was called the party line, anyone could listen into you conversation.
The 40s came in, and so did WWII. With that was the success of the Army being able to communicate without the enemy decoding messages. Like WWI, the Native American Indian, speaking in their native language made it impossible for the enemy to break their code.
Often we hear of the Navajo code talkers winning WWII for us, when in fact the Code Talkers were from 33 tribes, of them there were 69 from the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota tribes.
This is a photograph of Noah Whitebird Sr.; he served in the 9th Army Air Corps and the 900 Signal Depot Company in the European theatre. He was awarded the Congressional Code Talker Medal for his efforts in support of the war.
Noah Whitebird Sr. would have received this award after Congress passed the Code Talker Recognition Act in 2008. The Act mandated medals specific to each of the 33 tribes. Noah Whitebird Sr's medal represents the Rosebud Sioux tribe.
Another Sioux Code Talker was Clarence Wolf Guts, of the Oglala Lakota tribe.
What Clarence Wolf Guts remembered most: "when I was in that foxhole, I prayed for all I was worth. I done my part as a soldier.
The efforts these Code Talkers made stayed classified until 1968. They were not even allowed to talk to their families about what they did. Noah Whitebird's son had no idea what his dad did until the program was declassified.
The second floor of the center is an observation deck.
They don't call it prairie for nothin'. The second floor was dedicated to native plants, how to grow them, and how they can be used in the world of medicine.
A smile exercise: stop a moment, pull out your cellphone, then remember when... 
Circa 1990 cellphone. Smile.
Out by the flagpoles there is a quartzite marker.
After the admission of South Dakota in 1889, the Department of Interior contracted Charles H. Bates to survey the border between North and South Dakotas. Bates worked through 1891 and 1892 setting 720 stones a 1/2 mile apart. Because he used quartzite stone, the border became known as the "quartzite border".
Visitors can easily spend half a day or more going through this center. Carol and I both really liked this place.
After lunch we checked out a local distillery, Dakota Spirits Distillery (aka Bickering Brothers). The distillery is owned by brothers, and is very small.
Mother's Day weekend was not so hot, literally. Friday night rolled around... and so did the rain. Most of Saturday was lightning, thunder, and "big" drop rain. Sunday was cloudy and periodic rain, mostly heavy drizzle. I decided to take a drive into town and look for propane dealers (remember, I said there were only two). The day temperatures didn't get past the 50s, but the wind chill had it around the mid-40s. The nights dropped to the mid-30s... with wind chill, make that below freezing. We didn't have any problems with freezing water pipes... thank you.
Here is a little history on how Presho came to fruition. The Dakota Territory stretched south of Canada to the Rocky Mountains. During the Civil War a ferry license was issued to J.S. Presho to operate a ferry across the Missouri "Old Muddy" River down at Yankton. Around 1872 legislature was creating a big, new county in part of the Great Sioux Reservation. A suggestion was made to call it "Presho", and so it was. It wasn't until 1889 before the government started carving up the reservation. Settlers started coming in, and by 1891 they wanted mail service, so a Postmaster was named, and assigned the Presho Post Office. The town grew really slow, shipping out cattle and hay. In fact, 1915 was a record year for them, shipping out 20 trainloads of hay. Today there is no Presho county, it was absorbed into Lyman county.
I got a better look at Presho, South Dakota. Most of the residents live between the freeway to the south, and the railroad tracks to the north. If you choose to visit the the town, do it on a day when there hasn't been rain. Don't worry about how clean your vehicle is, there are only two paved roads in town, the rest are hard packed dirt. The drive I took during the weekend changed our truck from "blue jean" blue to a rich chocolate brown; the truck now looks like we are locals.
The next day was sunny, still in the upper 50s though. Carol and I took a walk to the Lyman County Pioneer Museum. It was a lesson in how people in small towns are more hospitable. The museum is open Memorial Day through Labor Day... normally. Carol called the number on the door, and someone was kind enough to walk over, unlock, and walk us through all the buildings.
This was one of the museums that we generally enjoy because of it exhibits. The artifacts are from the people that live, or lived in the region. The town is proud of those that served in the Armed Forces. There is a memorial around the flagpole saluting not only veterans who served, but also who were pioneers to to the area. The veterans range from the Civil War to Iraq.
The first building is mainly artifacts that show life as it was in Lyman County.
In the old days robbers had lots of time to rob a bank. In 1970, the bank in Vivian was robbed. 
These robbers did some thinking. First they drilled holes, and filled the safe with water so that the money wouldn't burn. Half way through cutting the hole, they ran out of acetylene. The answer to the situation was to rob a gas station, and get money to buy more acetylene to finish the job. They successfully walked away with $25,000 dollars.
There was a great display of gowns worn on various occasions, military uniforms from some of the residents that served, and artifacts from a legislator from the area. They had high school class graduation photos dating back to the beginning of Presho High School. The earlier graduation classes probably had 10 or 12, the more current graduation classes had as many as 30. The gentleman that escorted us through the museum said that 30 was a big graduation class, it was one high school. When he graduated, his graduating class was maybe 30, but they were from multiple high schools. When I graduated high school, my graduating class had almost 300.
You can sometimes see a town's character by the people of the town. Back in 1967 a monumental event occurred... the drug store closed. The drug store was owned by a gentleman named Earl Roberts, the town pharmacist, who served the community for 58 years. In a small town anything can be a story. Earls story, besides being the Pharmacist for 58 years, was his daily travels. In the 58 years it was estimated that he made 85,000 trips between his house and the drug store... which figured out to be around 17,000 miles.
This was his drug store on main street, one of the few paved streets in the town.
Leaving the main building we headed out to a structure with just about everything under the sun, or roof in it. 
Visitors can find anything from auction announcements to a jail cell, to a claim shanty.
If you could read the bottom auction announcement, you would see anything from cars to washing machines.
Speaking of washing machines, there's lots to choose from here.
Are you in a hurry? choose the double tub washer, made by Dexter.
Have a leftover trash can lid, we have a tub washer for you, with and electric ringer assembly.
This one's a little older, but has great agitation; notice the pegs at the top, and ridges in the bottom. Yes, I am excited about simple things.
What about industrial equipment:
Theatre projector.
Milk bottling machine.
Bread wrapping machine.
Enough for the honest work. If one chose the wrong side of the law, jail awaits.
These accommodations were courteously provided by the Lyman County Courthouse in Kennebec, South Dakota. It appears there is no place to lie down... not so, the cot is on the left side of the cell, and folds down... barely long enough for tall visitors.
I talked of Land Acts in our previous visit to the Culture Center. One of requirements for getting a plot of land was improving the property, as well as live on the land for a pre-determined time frame. The settlers built a variety of houses called a "claim shanty". The claim shanty on exhibit is a replica of Samuel Abdnor's actual shanty near Kennebec.
When they did built their shanty's, not all were built like this one. Samuel was able to use lumber and tarpaper. The tarpaper was used on the interior as well as the exterior. The homes were no frills. In fact, when settlers started claiming land, they were building structures that a person could barely turn around in, and the government said that was not good enough, forcing settlers to build larger living spaces.
The museum is also keeper of the record ledgers for just about everything that was recorded in Lyman County. Carol and I found it interesting that families weren't taxed on the land they owned, but taxed on things they owned in the house.
Well it's time to move to the next building, which was another fusion of anything that could exist, from hand tools to fire engines.
What you don't see in the photo above is an electric car from 1959.
This is a 1959 Marketour. It was a six volt electrical system, and could do 40 mph for 40 miles before needing recharging. The owner was a nice lady that drove it from Vivian to Presho to go shopping. What do you think... look like golf carts in the future... before today's of course.
This next vehicle was unique in a different way than expected. Look at the dashboard, and you'll see what I mean.
You see it... the dash is the gas tank.
Onward pioneers. What pioneer settlement couldn't stand to have a General Store... they had one here. The store on the museum grounds was moved from its original site.
The handicap ramp was not included in the early days. Lets walk the ramp and see what's inside.
The General Store was the place to come to find out what was happening around the territory. Eventually mail service came to the territory. Most of the time the Post Office was nothing more than a little window located on one of the store counters, with the store owner acting as the Postmaster.
This Post Office window is from the Lower Brule Trading Post, which functioned from the early 1900s to 1963. Looking towards the bottom of the window you can see an update, a sticker selling the use of zip codes.
This next item had us stumped, we thought it might be a sausage maker... what do you think?
There were two crank handles. The black arm at the back is attached to a piston in the cannister. We were not sure which crank actually made the piston push in.
Leaving the store we headed to another building with a surprise in it.
This cabin was originally built on the White River in 1893.
A picture of the cabin in its original location.
I guess if you were the lucky students you got to sit up by the wood stove during the winter. The children in the early pioneer days had three options with there time: playtime, school time, or church.
This church was built in 1904, and dedicated in 1905. The church, St. Augustine Catholic Church served the community of Sweeney. The community of Sweeney planted themselves in a part of South Dakota where they anticipated the railroads to be built running from north to south, and east to west. Unfortunately the railroad only came through east to west. With a lack of traffic the community wasted away. In 1977 the church was moved to the museum grounds. I could not find any information about this community on the internet.
Need to confess your sins: open confessional, no waiting. The confessor got the right side so they could kneel while asking for forgiveness.
We figure the piano was hauled into place, then the rail was installed later.
If you look at the walls you can see that they were white-washed, and had a dirt floor in the beginning. When the funding was there the floor was changed to wood. Again, nothing extravagant. Three more rooms were added to the original structure because the family was growing, adding 11 children. Of the 11, seven grew to maturity in this home.
Time for some schoolin'. Schools in the early 1900s served multiple grades, and some in the area did it into the 1950s.
Here is how moving a church works in a small town, as quoted from a local newspaper:
"Oahe Movers, Pierre, began the task Monday Dec 27, and unloading it Thursday Dec 30 at its new home. The movers were assisted by Vic Young, president of the Society, Louis Leichtnam, curator, Duane Fedderson who helped with his tractor for several hours, State Patrolman Marvin Stavig who directed traffic across I-90, on his day off, Gene Mertens, Kennebec, Lyman County Sherriff, and Vern Emery, manager of the Presho office of West Central Electric Cooperative, Inc, who were on vacation". In the big city there wouldn't even be a mention of the helpers, let along where they worked, and if they were on vacation.
They had old farm equipment everywhere outside. We walked over to another open bay area to see some of the tractors, but what caught my eye was what looked like a pump.
What we have here is an ammonia compressor; it was manufactured by the Vacuum Oil Company for Baker Ice Machine Company, Inc.
This was a fun two hours, visitors could spent even more time going through all the buildings. What was enjoyable was the ability to touch many artifacts to get a sense of the era they came from. Go off the beaten path and see the world.
Back home for lunch... maybe 1/4 mile walk.
ROAD TRIP!!! After freezing nights, it was time to take a drive to the 1880 Town. 
A couple of sets from the movie.
How many of you remember the scene with the running buffalo? The herd consisted of 3,000, owned by a rancher who has/had the largest herd of buffalo; at that time he had 3,500 head. Then there was the scene where a buffalo was shot with arrows... didn't really happen. Domesticated buffalo were used for that scene. (side note: the domesticated buffaloes, Mammoth and Cody, were owned by rock legend Neil Young). Mammoth was rigged with arrows that were strapped on. The portion of the scene where Mammoth was trampled by the buffalo herd, was actually an articulated (wire frame and fur) buffalo. When the articulated buffalo wasn't being trampled, it was on a dolly running parallel to Dunbar's horse during tight scenes.
The entrance to the town is a round barn built in 1919. The barn is actually 14-sided, 60 feet in diameter, with a height of 50 feet. The barn was used for horses and cows.
How do you built a town... one building at a time.
Move the barn in first.
The barn became the starting point where visitors pay to get in, walk through exhibit artifacts, and props from "Dancing with Wolves" movie, which was filmed entirely in South Dakota.
If you haven't experienced making butter, I'm sure it was fun, the hours of moving a stick up and down, or turning a crank on a container filled with whole, fat rich milk. I mean it sounds like fun to me. There was a solution way back when if that didn't work for you.
The top photo is a butter churn, and the second photo is a doggy treadmill. You could walk your dog and churn butter at the same time.
After meandering through the barn we stepped outside into the light.
There are 30 authentic buildings in the town.
To the right of the door leading to the town was a porch swing of unique design.
After the photo op, we headed to our first building of many.
This building contained artifacts and memorabilia from days gone by. As the visitor enters the building, there is a shrine to a 9 time champion bronc rider named Casey Tibbs. 
Apparently he did quite a bit for South Dakota in his life time, so much so, that the 65th session of the State Senate formally acknowledged his passing.
The building also contained artifacts collected from the battlefield of Custer's last fight.
There was furniture from homes that were torn down, as well as door knockers from some of the old ranches.
The next building was the Barber Shop and Bath House.
Barber Shop in the front.
Bath House in the rear.
Relax, I am not going to show all 30 buildings... just highlight a few.
Here are some of the other wagons on display.
This building was interesting, simply for the fact that the town doctor lived over the store.
The doctor/dentist could be accessed from the outside stairs, as well as inside stairs.
I figured by now you know what stairs going up look like, so I didn't include a picture of them. That's the store... here comes the doctor's office.
The top photo shows a bed at the end of the hall, probably used for patients that were too sick to go home. Back down the stairs, and down the street.
This building was interesting, simply for the fact that the town doctor lived over the store.
After seeing the Doc, getting a tooth pulled, and prescribed a nice pain killer of the day... we looked for the Saloon.
This establishment was beautiful. On the left, towards to the back was the Dry Goods store. The dry goods store now contains the costumes that can be rented, so it was locked up. The right side (brown) was the Saddle Shop on the first floor, and the Optometrist on the second floor. Back to the front, through the swinging doors.
Just inside the swinging doors
To get to the bar, you need money, there is a bank for that reason... shame on you... not to rob, but to keep a cowboy's wages.
If our cowboy had other investments, he may have gotten a check in the mail for deposit in the bank. This would have been his pick up point.
This Post Office came from the Oahe Mission. Like Post Offices today, wanted posters were always hanging on the walls. Some may have been our cowboy's friends.
The price on his head would probably been less or none if he had put a bullet through Bill.
The other stagecoach.
Now that the cowboy had money and partied too much, he could end up somewhere he didn't want to be for the night.
Check-in / pay fine point.
There was actually someone detained in one of the cells, and rumor had it that he was a rebellious troublemaker.
After being set free the cowboy may look for repentance at the local church.
This church had beautiful stained glass windows.
I promised you more coaches and wagons, we will find them in the Livery.
The last building we will look at is what a contemporary pioneer home may have looked like in the late 1800s.
The home would be simple, probably two rooms, maybe three if there were children, and an outhouse. This home may have had an infant. Look by the bed.
How would you like to have your child bouncing in this contraption? the "good ol' days" bouncer.
Apparently some excavation was happening, and another jail cell was found... don't know why it was buried.
Before we leave, let's mention the other buildings in town: a cowboy line shack, the C.H. Hullinger home, sign shop, Wells Fargo Express Office, a jailhouse off the Marshal's office, blacksmith shop, Jo and Lil Walker home, Draper Hotel, a saddle shop, Big Foot Pass Church, an observation tower, Longhorn Ranch, lawyer office, train depot, portrait studio, a land office, Town Hall, lumber and coal building, jewelry store, wagon repair shop, feed and seed building, one-room schoolhouse, Timmons freight wagons, and "The Western Star" newspaper.
For more information on this museum: http://www.1880town.com.
This town is in the middle of nowhere. They built a gas station, and created a 1950s diner out of train cars... locomotive included, by it. Unfortunately for us, the diner is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, we were there Tuesday. The quick solution to hunger was a candy bar.
We drove into Kadoka for lunch. Carol had the usual for her, burger and fries, I had a "Rueben's cousin" and fries. Never heard of a "Rueben's cousin"? It is a Rueben sandwich with the usual corned beef and sauerkraut... the difference is the addition of cole slaw in between the meat slices. The sandwich was good, I would order it again.
Now for the real reason we drove into Kadoka, Badlands Distillery. They distill whiskey, bourbon, and vodka. They advertise tours, but not today, they are remodeling. We taste tested, and bought the ones we liked: Cinn-ister Apple, Badlands Maple, and Badlands Carmel.
We were homeward bound from there.
We were homeward bound from there.
The next day was the usual, prep for next day departure. Our final stop for this leg will be Ellsworth Air Force Base, Box Elder South Dakota. My posts will probably be sporadic at best while there.
May the Lord be with you each day like He has been for us.
Such a fun trip
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