Early Vermillion

by:Arthur L. Rusch

From 1859 to 1881, Vermillion was a very different town from the town which exists today. It was along the Vermillion and Missouri Rivers, below the bluff where it is now located. It was a river town, a steamboat stop, with the Missouri River running by on its very doorstep.

The area around the mouth of the Vermillion River had been a favorite stopping point on the Missouri River for many years. On August 24, 1804, the Lewis & Clark expedition stopped here. From the mouth of the Vermillion River (which they called the White Stone) they made an overland trip to Spirit Mound and, in their journal, described the area above the bluffs as a “beautiful plain.” The Columbia Fur Co. built a fur trading post near the mouth of the Vermillion River and the American Fur Co. had a post located two miles below Burbank, southeast of Vermillion. In 1839, Father DeSmet, the missionary priest, stopped at the mouth of the Vermillion River and performed a number of marriages and baptisms among the Indians who were camped there and in 1843, John James Audubon, the famous naturalist, who is best known for his bird drawings, stopped near Vermillion. In the winter of 1845-1846, a group of Mormons camped near the mouth of the Vermillion River on their way to Utah.

The area where Vermillion is now located was opened to white settlement as a result of the Yankton Sioux Treaty of 1858. During 1858, a number of prospective settlers gathered in Nebraska directly south of Vermillion and in July of 1859, they began to enter the Vermillion area. Among the first buildings erected in Vermillion were James McHenry’s store and Samuel Mulholland’s log hotel. Both of these buildings were on the south side of Broadway near the steamboat landing. There was also a ferry across the Vermillion River, a shingle business, a brick maker, a sawmill and gristmill, and a store with the post office. A stage coach ran from Vermillion to Sioux Falls every day and to Bloomingdale, Lodi, and Centerville, small communities north of Vermillion, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The stage coach also ran to Center Point and Dalesburg, north and east of Vermillion, on Fridays.
For many years Vermillion was the biggest town in the territory. By 1868 Vermillion contained four stores, a wagon shop, two blacksmith shops, a courthouse, and a big tavern. The first bank was organized in 1871. The telegraph line came to Vermillion in 1870 and the railroad arrived in December of 1872. The first Dakota Territorial legislature which met in Yankton on March 17, 1862 located the territorial university in Vermillion. In the winter of 1864-65, a log schoolhouse was built on the ravine road, now Dakota Street hill. When the community outgrew that little log school in 1873, a two story brick school was built on Church Street.

Although the fact of Vermillion’s destruction by flood in the spring of 1881 are well known, less well known is the fact that a major portion of the business district of the town was destroyed by fire on January 13, 1875. After the fire, the downtown was quickly rebuilt.

Although the proximity of the Missouri River had caused prior problems for Vermillion, particularly the erosion of the bluff near the whirlpool, a flood in the spring of 1881 destroyed most of the town. That flood was the result of a particularly hard winter throughout the northern plains. It was the same winter which was written about in The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The snow began with a blizzard on October 15, 1880, and for the next six months there were nearly weekly blizzards. The numerous blizzards that winter and the resulting heavy snow accumulations, and thick ice on the rivers resulted in high water in the spring and the flooding and destruction of Vermillion.

As a result of the flood, 132 buildings were completely destroyed and many of the surviving building were badly damaged. After the flood, a public meeting, held on April 1, 1881, made a decision to rebuild the community on top of the bluff. A new town emerged on top of the bluff in a matter of weeks. A brisk business in city lots ensued as soon as the businessmen decided to relocate on the hill. Market Street between Main and Union (which was renamed Kidder Street) and two blocks of Main from Market to the corner of Church Street comprised the heart to the new business section. Many of the old buildings, including the brick structures, supplied the material for the new. Wooden structures not too badly damaged were moved in their entirely. Carpenters, masons, and professional house movers, including some from as far as Des Moines worked overtime.

Below the hill the landscape had materially changed. The Missouri had cut through the narrow half-mile neck south of the town to find a straighter course near the Nebraska bluffs, thus eliminating seventeen miles of steamboat traffic. The Vermillion River, as a result, was flowing down the old bed to join the Missouri several miles southeast of the town.

Among the community improvements made after the flood were the construction of a new city hall and finally a county owned courthouse. The economic devastation suffered by the community led the community to take action to start the University of Dakota which had lain dormant since it was authorized by the legislature in 1862. The taxpayers of Clay County approved $10,000 in bonds to construct the first building on the campus.

Downtown Vermillion – through the years….

Through the years the face of Downtown Vermillion has gone through many changes. After the flood the people of Vermillion moved to the top of the bluff and wooden buildings were built with lumber from when the town was below the bluff. Some entire buildings were also moved. After two major fires a city ordinance banned all new wood frame buildings and brick and stone buildings began to appear on the Downtown landscape. Businesses were concentrated along Market and Center Street and the 10 block of East and West Main Street. Many of those buildings are still standing and familiar to us today. Some of those early brick and stone buildings included the Bank of Vermillion/First National Bank at 1 East Main (now RED Steakhouse) and the bank’s competitor the Clay County Bank/Vermillion National Bank across the street at 1 West Main (now Amy’s Whoopti Do Hair Salon). The south side of the street in the 10 block of West Main also was built in the 1890s. Businesses during these early years included meat markets, confectioneries, general stores, billiards and pool halls, leather and harness shops, clothing and millinery stores, furniture stores, drug stores, and liveries and dray lines, to name a few. The growth of the businesses in Downtown Vermillion also reflected the growth taking place in the University of South Dakota which welcomed more students each year.

From 1900 to 1940 more buildings were built of brick or stone. The Downtown expanded to include the 100 and 200 blocks of East and West Main and along Court, Elm, National, and Prospect Streets. The Carnegie Library (now McCullough Law and McCahren Law firms) and Grange/Waldorf Livery (now Dakota Decoy and Bike Plus) were constructed in 1902. Churches of most every denomination appeared on the scene, and new government buildings including a new City Hall, Courthouse and Post Office were all completed by 1931. New businesses in Downtown Vermillion included movie theaters, car dealerships, gas stations, grocery stores, coffee and tea houses, laundry and dry cleaners and barber and beauty shops. Restaurants, diners and soda fountains also found spots in Downtown Vermillion.

The next 40 years brought many changes to the Downtown. Some of the older buildings Downtown were being replaced with new buildings and some were not replaced at all. In the 1960s some businesses abandoned Downtown and moved to Cherry Street/Highway 50 to be closer to the new University dorms. Cars became more common for families and students and malls were built in nearby cities. These changes had a great effect on Downtown Vermillion with people choosing to shop out of town rather than supporting local businesses. The variety of businesses declined but still included specialty and novelty stores, grocery stores, department stores, clothing stores for men, women and children, gas stations, barber and beauty shops and restaurants, bars and coffee and tea houses.

Starting in the early eighties the Downtown went through some tough times as was the trend in many small towns in South Dakota. In the early 21st century Downtown began to re-define itself. The city’s investment in Downtown created a flurry of activity. Building owners restored their facades revealing the beautiful original brick structures. Financial services and attorneys chose Downtown locations. Doctors, dentists, eye doctors, massage therapists and chiropractors joined the service groups. A variety of family owned restaurants featuring American, Asian, and Italian foods appeared. This eclectic collection of cafes and restaurants could successfully be put up against any small town in America! Today bars with big screen TVs entertain local residents and college students and specialty shops including gifts, hand-made items, photography, art and boutique clothing were added to the already present hardware, appliance, floral and beauty shops. Government services serve residents in their Downtown locations. With the addition of pocket parks, a public plaza and events, Downtown has experienced a renaissance making it a vibrant scene with over 90 businesses and services.