A Walk in Falls Park

 My husband and I were recently able to take a walk in Falls Park located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  This is a 123 acre park surrounding the city's water falls.  There are walking paths around the park and along the Sioux River.  It was a beautiful, sunny, cold day when we took our walk.

The Experience Sioux Falls website claims, "An average of 7,400 gallons of water drop 100 feet over the course of the Falls each second."  

The remains of the Queen Bee Mill are located along one side of the falls.  From the Experience Sioux Falls website:

In the fall of 1878 Pettigrew decided Sioux Falls needed its own mill so farmers could avoid the cost of shipping wheat to Minnesota or Wisconsin. Pettigrew acquired the land and then traveled east to locate an investor: New Jersey capitalist George I. Seney.

The mill opened on Oct. 25, 1881, and consisted of a seven-story main structure built of Sioux Quartzite quarried on site. Nearly $500,000 was spent on the construction of the state-of-the-art mill and its supporting structures. At the time of its construction, the mill was one of the most advanced in America. The mill could process 1,500 bushels each day. However, by 1883, the mill was closed - a victim of inadequate water power and a short supply of wheat.

Several companies tried in vain to make the mill a success in succeeding years. In 1929 it was converted into a warehouse. On Jan. 30, 1956, fire swept through the structure, destroying the wooden roof and interior floors. The upper walls were later knocked down to prevent them from falling.

 

The area inside the fence is what is left of the building where the grain was milled.  The area is now used for open air concerts when the weather permits.

The above sign told the history of the Queen Bee Mill.  It included an amusing story about Richard Pettigrew.  He was so desperate to impress potential investors that he would send some of his workers to the dam upstream from the mill before the investors arrived.  They were instructed at a certain time to open the dam.  The water would rush down the river and over the falls, causing the investors to believe the water power was greater than it actually was.  No wonder the mill only lasted a couple of years due to lack of water power!

This statue was called "The Farmer" and was located near the visitor center.

We enjoyed our walk around the park and learned a few things while we were at it.  If you are ever in the Sioux Falls area, Falls Park is an interesting place to visit.