Article Body
Office of the Governor
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
(605) 773-3212
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 30, 2006
CONTACT: Mark Johnston, 773-3212
Gov. Rounds proclaims June 30 – July 4 as Sioux Falls Sesquicentennial Days
PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Mike Rounds has today proclaimed June 30, 2006 through July 4, 2006 as Sesquicentennial Days in Sioux Falls in celebration of the city’s 150th Anniversary.
“Sioux Falls has seen tremendous population growth and business expansion that offers variety and opportunities for citizens of all ages,” said Gov. Rounds. “People from all walks of life have made their way to Sioux Falls, and the city really has something for everyone: the natural beauty of Falls Park, superb dining, top-tier retail establishments, great minor league sports, excellent opportunities for education, world-class healthcare, and outdoor activities galore. One of the greatest challenges is keeping young people in South Dakota. Sioux Falls has responded to that challenge.”
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Note: Gov. Rounds’ Executive Proclamation follows:
Executive Proclamation
State of South Dakota
Office of the Governor
Whereas,Sioux Falls was founded on the banks of the Big Sioux River with the arrival of the first land speculator, Western Town Company, and was chartered in 1856; and,
Whereas, FortDakota, a military reservation, established the present day downtown in May 1865, and the population grew to 593 by 1873; and,
Whereas, In 1876, the village of Sioux Falls was incorporated by the legislative assembly of the Dakota Territory with 1,200 acres of land, and the first train steamed into Sioux Falls on July 30, 1878; and,
Whereas, The village charter proved to be too restrictive so a city charter was petitioned and approved on March 3, 1883, and by 1890, the population exceeded 10,000; and,
Whereas, A grasshopper plague and national depression squelched population growth during the 1890s, but the opening of John Morrell in 1909 and the establishment of an airbase and military radio communications training school in 1942 were milestones for the city that demanded increased workforce and improved infrastructure for the area—the population began to boom again; and,
Whereas,Today, Sioux Falls has grown into a financial, health care and educational engine for the state of South Dakota, as well as providing all the opportunities for a great quality of life: shopping, transportation, sports, art and culture; and,
Whereas, Sioux Falls will celebrate its 150th Anniversary from June 30 - July 4, 2006, with numerous activities:
Now, Therefore, I, M. Michael Rounds, Governor of the state of South Dakota, do hereby proclaim June 30 - July 4, 2006, as
SIOUX FALLS SESQUICENTENNIAL DAYS
in South Dakota.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the state of South Dakota, in Pierre, the CapitalCity, this Twenty-eighth Day of June in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Six.
_______________________________________
M. Michael Rounds, Governor
Attest:
_____________________________________
Chris Nelson, Secretary of State