Old Vermillion

Old Vermillion. . The confluence of the Missouri and Vermillion rivers provided an ideal location for camping, farming, and settling for generations. Yankton Sioux camped below the bluffs in the winter for protection from the harsh winds and moved to the bluffs in the summer to catch the breezes. By 1859, American Indians had moved onto treaty lands, the area was open to homesteaders, and a very different Vermillion than we know today was established., The original town of Vermillion was located on the narrow strip of land between the Missouri River and the bluffs. The business district grew along Broadway Street with small, one-story wooded structures. Once the population grew larger, more permanent buildings took their place. By 1870, Vermillion enjoyed the services of lawyers and doctors, various businesses, and numerous sawmills and factories. Residential development expanded onto the bluff in the 1870s. Homes in this newer neighborhood were built in higher styles than the older houses below., This Vermillion no longer exists. After the flood of 1881, few people stayed on the bottom. Within just a few weeks, a new Vermillion emerged. Most businesses and residences moved above the bluff, where they remain today., Caption: , Clockwise from upper left: view of Old Vermillion from Market Street on top of the bluff; railroad tracks and grain elevators with the Missouri River in the background; businesses along the south side of Broadway Street; a brewery and the Baptist Church along Dakota Street.