For release: Nov. 5, 2003

For more information contact Jeff Mammenga, 773-6000

State Historical Society Press debuting new children’s book

PIERRE --The first children’s book from the South Dakota State Historical Society Press will debut on Friday, Nov. 28, at the annual holiday open house of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center.

            The book, Dakota Dreams: Fannie Sabra Howe’s Own Story, 1881-1884, is based on the diary of a girl who homesteaded with her family near Mellette in Spink County and watched the building of the town. Fannie’s father, Charles Howe, built an elevator, store and the family’s home in Mellette. The elevator and the house, with its four-story tower, were both round buildings and remained well-known landmarks until being torn down in 1964.

            Designed for readers in grades four through seven, Dakota Dreams was written and illustrated by Janet Howe Townsley, a great-niece of Fannie Howe. Townsley is scheduled to attend the open house, which runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m., to give readings from the book and autograph copies.

            “Janet Howe Townsley brought the concept to us in June 2001,” said Nancy Tystad Koupal, director of the SDSHS Press. “As an illustrator and teacher, she thought her great aunt’s diary had great potential for teaching younger readers about the past. After reading her manuscript, we agreed.”

            Koupal said she’s wanted to work on a project like Dakota Dreams for quite some time.

“From the time I first started working in researching and publishing South Dakota's rich heritage, I have wanted to find a way to share our history and culture with all age levels,” she said. “When we started the South Dakota State Historical Society Press in 1997, I began looking for book projects that would be appropriate for younger readers. Both Townsley and Howe are great story tellers, and Townsley is also a talented artist who has produced a delightful book for both girls and boys.  Adults will love it, too.  I do.”

The publication of Dakota Dreams was funded by a grant from the Mary Chilton Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution through the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation in Sioux Falls. Funds also came from the “Preserving the Past . . . Serving the Future” capital gifts campaign of the State Historical Society.

In conjunction with the book, a new exhibit will also be debuting Nov. 28 at the Cultural Heritage Center. The Dakota Dreams exhibit in the Hogen Gallery will feature the pen-and-ink illustrations Townsley created for the book. She based her sketches of buildings on old family photographs and researched dwellings, cooking materials, clothing, farm equipment and trains used in the early 1880s to create other drawings. A quilt from the Howe family and other period objects will complete the exhibit.

To order Dakota Dreams, contact the South Dakota State Historical Society Press at (605) 773-6009.

Admission to the museum is free for the open house. Holiday treats, entertainment and special discounts in the Heritage Store gift shop will also be offered.

The Cultural Heritage Center is the headquarters of the State Historical Society, which is an office of the Department of Tourism and State Development. For more information, go to the society’s Web site at www.sdhistory.org.

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