North End East in Sioux Falls in Minnehaha County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

The Sioux Quartzite

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

1. The Sioux Quartzite Marker

Inscription.
The Sioux Quartzite, deposited more than a billion years ago, is among the oldest rock exposed in South Dakota. The quartzite and associated pipestone deposits were known to white men as early as 1822, but the American Indian used pipestone centuries earlier to make ornaments and utensils.

The Sioux Quartzite consists of thick beds of silica-cemented quartz sandstone, the grains of which were deposited and rounded by wave action in the floor of an ancient continental sea. This fact is illustrated by laminations and ripple marks preserved in the quartzite. The density of the rock resulting from the cementation and compaction makes it very resistant to erosion as shown by the falls at this site; the Big Sioux River has been flowing in its present course here for about 10,000 years.

In Pioneer Days this rock was the principal building and paving material in this area. At the present time its use as an aggregate in concrete construction makes the Sioux Quartzite an important natural resource of Eastern South Dakota.
Donated by Sertoma Boy Scout Troop 48,
John Bradford District, Sioux Council

Erected 1965 by Sertoma Boy Scout Troop 48, John Bradford District, Sioux Council. (Marker Number 393.)

Topics and series. This historical

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marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Resources. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota State Historical Society Markers series list.

Location. 43° 33.378′ N, 96° 43.454′ W. Marker is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in Minnehaha County. It is in North End East. Marker can be reached from East Falls Park Drive. Marker is located along the walkway near the south edge of Falls Park, about 1/10 mile southwest of the Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 East Falls Park Drive, Sioux Falls SD 57104, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Lure of the Falls (within shouting distance of this marker); 1851 Indian Treaty (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hazel O'Connor (about 400 feet away); Legacy of Ice and Rock (about 400 feet away); Prison Quarry (about 400 feet away); Inland Seas (about 500 feet away); Namesake of the City (about 500 feet away); Harnessing the River (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sioux Falls.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Sioux Quartzite, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Also see . . .
1. About Sioux Quartzite. Sioux Quartzite Outcrop Trail website entry:
Sioux

The Sioux Quartzite Marker (<i>tall view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

2. The Sioux Quartzite Marker (tall view)

quartzite outcroppings are the area’s most unique geological feature. The outcrops of Sioux quartzite start at Redstone in East New Ulm, MN and extend 180 miles west to Rockport Colony along the James River, south of Mitchell, SD. The north-south band of outcrops is about 40 miles wide. Quartzite was quarried in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s into building stone and cobblestone. With the ability to transport stone out by train, quarrying became one of region’s largest industries. Almost every local community had structures made of quartzite. Because of the stones hardness and durability , these building are still standing today as historic schools, courthouses, churches, fire stations and hotels. (Submitted on October 4, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Sioux Quartzite's Ancient Beauty. South Dakota magazine website entry:
Sioux quartzite, the hard stone that the Big Sioux tumbles over at Falls Park in Sioux Falls, is ancient. Those that study rocks say it was formed around 1.5 billion years ago. It is really hard to fathom. The last dinosaurs are supposed to have been around 60 million years ago. That’s a drop in the bucket compared to our Sioux quartzite. This rock formation has been fairly stable and in existence for roughly a quarter of the time Earth has been a planet. (Submitted on October 4, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

The Sioux Quartzite Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

3. The Sioux Quartzite Marker (wide view)

Sioux Falls / Sioux quartzite (<i>view from near marker</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

4. Sioux Falls / Sioux quartzite (view from near marker)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 464 times since then and 27 times this year. Last updated on October 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.