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Traveling the Lewis And Clark Trail: Pierre

By: Provided By Falcon Books

The town of Pierre itself is named for Pierre Chouteau, but the name is pronounced “Peer”—no one seems to know why. Fort Teton, built at the present site of the town of Fort Pierre, was established in 1817 and is credited with being the state’s first continuous settlement. But the white man’s history at Pierre dates back before those days, and even before the time of Lewis and Clark. In 1743, Chevalier and Louis La Verendrye, two explorers from French Canada, planted a lead plate on a hill in what is now Fort Pierre, claiming the region for the King of France. Like Lewis and Clark 60 years after them, the Verendryes were looking for a route to the Pacific Ocean. They’d come down the Missouri River and traveled as far west as the Black Hills before returning to present-day central South Dakota.
The plate was covered with rocks and remained hidden for 170 years. In 1913, three students from Fort Pierre High School found the plate. A monument was built to the Verendryes, and Gutzon Borglum—sculptor of Mount Rushmore—was the keynote speaker at its dedication in 1933. The Verendrye Plate was a top historical find since it provided a key to early white exploration of the region.
The plate is now on display at the South Dakota Cultural Center, located near the Capitol grounds in Pierre. Built for the state centennial in 1989, the 63,000-square-foot building is completely underground, reminiscent of Arikara earthlodges that used to dot the Missouri River valley. The center’s symbol is the Sioux Horse Effigy, occasionally on loan to other museums nationwide; it’s also the symbol seen on South Dakota historical highway markers statewide.
Pierre has a delightful waterfront area, Steamboat Park, with a
trail that loops around a causeway to La Framboise Island. The
island is a natural area where only foot traffic is permitted; it’s also an occasional gathering place for peaceful demonstrations by Lakota people and their sympathizers seeking to protest past and present mistreatment. (In summer 1999, a local motel employee warned me off walking to the island because of such a demonstration. That, of course, made me want to visit all the more.) Pedal & Paddle at 411 South Pierre Street rents bikes for $25 for 24 hours (no shorter rentals available), as well as kayaks at $25 a day for a single and $35 a day for a double. The shop is only two blocks from the waterfront, with wheeled carts available to tote your boat to the river.
Fans of Dayton Duncan’s Out West will no doubt want to make a pilgrimage to the D&E Cafe at 115 West Dakota in Pierre, where Duncan chowed down dinner for less than $4 and $2 for breakfast, including newspaper and tip. Prices have risen a bit since Duncan’s mid-1980s visit, but the D&E is still one heck of a deal. Other places worth a stop in Pierre include the beautiful State Capitol grounds and the South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium. For more information on Pierre, call (800) 962-2034. Courtesy of Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail

Links:

www.pierre200.com

www.lewisandclarkbook.com

Pierre History
Extend the Hand of Peace