Good Earth State Park at Blood Run, South Dakota’s newest state park just southeast of Sioux Falls, is one of the oldest sites of long-term human habitation in the United States. Rebecca Johnson, our special projects coordinator, visited the National Historic Landmark recently to hike the trails. Here are some of her photos.
Our May/June issue includes a feature on the the art of growing grapes in South Dakota. We gathered several photos for the article — too many to print. Here are some that didn’t make the magazine.
Our May/June issue includes a story on our Native American residents’ rich history of military service. Bernie Hunhoff visited the Standing Rock Reservation to visit with its veterans and their descendants. He took several photos on his trip — too many to print. Here are some of his extras.
Architects, artists, city planners and designers from across South Dakota converged in Yankton April 6-8 for Design:SD, an annual exercise to help the chosen community imagine its possibilities. Photos by Bernie Hunhoff.
The James River meanders and oxbows for 474 miles across eastern South Dakota. Our March/April issue includes a feature on our state’s efforts to maintain its many bridges, many of them century-old relics. Bernie Hunhoff explored the backroads of Spink County to get the story. Here are some of his photos that didn’t make the magazine.
In the fall of 1886, the Rev. Bernard Heus travelled from Ipswich to lead the town of Bowdle’s first Catholic Mass in a hall over Cox’s store on Main Street. Today, Catholics in the Edmunds County city of 500 have more elegant accommodations. St. Augustine Catholic Church on Third Avenue was completed in 1919. Its ornate architecture includes stained glass windows that illustrate events recorded in the Bible. The windows were gifts from early pioneer families who worshipped there. Photos by Dan Ray.
In 2014, Sioux Falls photographer Christian Begeman started Prairie Sanctuaries, a Facebook page dedicated to country churches. He’s since photographed and featured over 200 churches, with 55 of our 66 counties represented. Our March/April issue includes a photo essay of some of our favorites from his page. We shared them all in black and white, but we’re sharing the color versions here — along with a few more we didn’t have room for.
Our January/February issue includes a story on Lily, a tiny town south of Webster. Minneapolis photographer Howard Christopherson stumbled upon Lily in 2006 while exploring Highway 12. He was so charmed by the town that he purchased a small house there, which he uses as a creative retreat. It’s also headquarters to his Highway 12 Road Trip Photography Workshop, open to photographers of any ability who wish to explore Lily, the surrounding towns and backroads.
Christopherson shared several photos — too many, in fact, to fit within our magazine’s pages — so here are a few more that didn’t appear in print. Collector’s prints are available of these and all of Christopherson’s photos from the January/February 2017 issue.
South Dakota Magazine subscribers may purchase archival photographic prints from Christopherson at a special price of $450 (includes U.S. shipping and handling). Prints are individually printed by Christopherson using the best inks and paper available. Image size is 20″ by 13 3/8″ (paper size 22″ x 17″). Each print is hand signed and embossed. Framed options are available. A portion from each sale will be donated to the preservation of the town.
Contact Howard M. Christopherson at Icebox Gallery at icebox@bitstream.net or (612) 788-1790.
Shortly after the article was published, we learned that Lily will formally dissolve in March. There are no longer any permanent residents, mayor or board members to maintain the town.
Seldom in life do we get second chances. And the prospect of it happening 161 years after a calamity? Very rare. But our Nov/Dec 2016 issue has just such a story. It happened when Paul Stover Soderman of Colorado discovered he was a descendant of General Harney, the man responsible for a massacre of Lakota men, women and children in 1855 at Blue Water Creek in Nebraska. The killings happened after Harney rebuffed Chief Little Thunder’s extended hand. A few years ago, Soderman befriended the chief’s descendants.
Nearly 90 trees decorated by businesses, nonprofit organizations, communities and government offices fill our state’s capitol building for the 36th annual Christmas at the Capitol. This year’s theme is”A Monumental Christmas.” Bob Grandpre snapped these photos last weekend as crews prepared. The display is open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily, November 23 – December 26. A kickoff event is planned for November 22 with music starting at 6:30 p.m. and Grand Lighting Ceremony at 7:00 p.m.
