YANKTON IS RICH IN HISTORY
We'd love to help you explore.
LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION
Sixteen States, 4,900 Miles, One National Historic Trail
In 1803, the United States government made the greatest land deal in history when they purchased the Louisiana Territory (827,000 square miles west of the Mississippi River) from France. After the purchase, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson sought the help of Meriwether Lewis to find “the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce.” Lewis invited William Clark to be his co-captain of the Corp of Discovery Expedition, consisting of 45 men in charge of documenting resources and establishing sovereignty over all American Indian Nations living in the Territory in addition to finding a water route to the Pacific Ocean. The Expedition left Camp Dubois, Illinois in 1804 on a trip which would last over two years.
Lewis and Clark made their way through what would become Yankton on August 28, 1804. The expedition had a council with the Yankton Sioux Tribe, at Calumet Bluff, near present day Lewis and Clark Visitor Center just west of Gavins Point Dam.
MOTHER CITY OF THE DAKOTAS
South Dakota's First: Capital, Bank, Newspaper, High School, College, Medical Clinic, Bridge Across the Missouri, Brewery
Yankton was established as the first capital of the Dakota Territory and held that title for 22 years. People were drawn to our river access and progressive way of life.
The link below takes you to an article and audio recording from South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s In the Moment, hosted by Lori Walsh, that explores why Yankton is known as the “Mother City of the Dakotas.” Featuring insights from the Dakota Territorial Museum, it provides an engaging overview of Yankton County’s rich history, from its early role in trade and transportation along the Missouri River to its significance as the original capital of Dakota Territory.
THE WILD WEST
AN EXCITING TIME OF PIONEERS, OUTLAWS AND ADVENTURE
Life in the Dakota Territory was a raucous and wild way of life, filled with crafty entrepreneurs, famous gunslingers, crooked politicians, proud Native Americans, resilient steamboat captains, brave homesteaders and much more. Yankton was established as the first capital of the Dakota Territory, and held that title for 22 years. People were drawn to our river access and progressive way of life.
MERIDIAN BRIDGE
ENGINEERING MARVEL & THE LAST LINK OF THE MERIDIAN HIGHWAY
The historic structure most readily visible from Yankton's riverfront is the Meridian Bridge. It is notable as the first permanent river crossing in the Yankton vicinity and as one of the final links in the Meridian Highway, an early north-south route from Winnipeg, Canada, to Mexico City, Mexico.
The vertical lift design was a typical period engineering solution to a typical problem of spanning a wide navigable river and thus did not garner much attention in engineering circles in the 1920s. The region's population, however, considered it an outstanding bridge engineering accomplishment that greatly improved economic and social connections across the Nebraska and South Dakota border.
On October 11, 2009, the new Discovery Bridge was opened to traffic. The Meridian Bridge was closed and soon underwent conversion to pedestrian/bike use. In November 2011 it opened for recreational use. Hiking, biking, running or walking across the bridge is a popular outdoor activity in the Yankton area.
GAVINS POINT DAM - LEWIS AND CLARK LAKE
LAST HYDROELECTRIC DAM ON THE MISSOURI RIVER
With a purpose to regulate river flows and generate power, the Congress-directed Gavins Point Dam was constructed in 1955, immeasurably changing the Yankton community. It gave us Lewis and Clark Lake, which draws nearly 2 million visitors every year.
The video below is shown at the Lewis & Clark Visitor Center above Gavins Point Dam. The video captures the history of the southernmost of the six main stem dams along the Missouri River. Additional footage was provided by the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development as well as South Dakota Public Broadcasting.