Downtown in Sioux Falls in Minnehaha County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Lumberyards
March 26, 2022
1. Lumberyards Marker
Roderick & Brown established 1874
H.W.Ross Lumber Company established 1878
Sioux Falls Lumber Company formerly J.W.Parker & Son established 1881
Badger Lumber established 1880
Schoeneman Brothers & Company established (in Sioux Falls) 1906
John W. Tuthill Lumber Company formerly Edwin Sharpe & Company established 1872
What is a lumberyard? A lumberyard is a place where lumber, or wood-related products, for construction projects are processed, stored and sold. Trees are broken down first at a lumber mill, and then transported to the lumberyard. Some lumber yards also provide services such as the use of a planer,
this page online
Erected by Siouxland Heritage Museums and Confluence.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.
Location. 43° 32.898′ N, 96° 43.528′ W. Marker is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in Minnehaha County. It is in Downtown. Marker can be reached from East 8th Street, 0.1 miles east of North Phillips Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Located on the Big Sioux River Greenway, on the east side of the river and just south of the Eighth Street bridge. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 201 E 8th St, Sioux Falls SD 57103, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fort Dakota (here, next to this marker); Cascade Mill (here, next to this marker); Launch (within shouting distance of this marker); Course (within shouting distance of this marker); Mill Dam Tragedy (within shouting distance of this marker); Overflow (within shouting distance of this marker); Traverse (within shouting distance of this marker); 8th Street Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sioux Falls.
March 26, 2022
2. Lumberyards Marker
Caption: View of Sioux Falls from the East Side with Lumberyard in the Foreground, ca. 1890. Image courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums [SHM 1936.1.61].
March 26, 2022
3. Lumberyards Marker
Captions:
Roderick & Brown
In April of 1881, floodwaters swept away all of the inventory at Roderick & Brown's Eight & railroad lumber yard. Quick-thinking settlers gathered the materials from the base of the falls and resold it.
H.W.Ross Lumber Company
The John W. Tuthill Lumber Company sold building materials, coal, and coke (a fuel made from coal) in its retail yard. Most of its profits, however, were made selling sashes and doors.
left photo
The Schoeneman's Lumber Building was removed in 2012 prior to construction of the new hotel.
View of River Ramp and Schoeneman's Lumber Building, 1968. Image courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums [SHM 1984.18.248].
right photo
Tuthill Lumber Building, ca. 1925. Image Courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums [SHM 95.23.112].
Roderick & Brown
In April of 1881, floodwaters swept away all of the inventory at Roderick & Brown's Eight & railroad lumber yard. Quick-thinking settlers gathered the materials from the base of the falls and resold it.
H.W.Ross Lumber Company
The John W. Tuthill Lumber Company sold building materials, coal, and coke (a fuel made from coal) in its retail yard. Most of its profits, however, were made selling sashes and doors.
left photo
The Schoeneman's Lumber Building was removed in 2012 prior to construction of the new hotel.
View of River Ramp and Schoeneman's Lumber Building, 1968. Image courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums [SHM 1984.18.248].
right photo
Tuthill Lumber Building, ca. 1925. Image Courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums [SHM 95.23.112].
March 26, 2022
4. Lumberyards Marker
Captions:
graphic
How many trees does it take to build a house?
one house +/-2,000 square feet = 16,000 board feet* of framing lumber
*one board foot = 1" thick by 1' wide by 1' length = approximately 70 trees with 18" trunk diameters at breast height, at 35' tall
indian grass
Sorghastrum nutans
The grasses identified on these signs are native to South Dakota and may have grown on this very site before people settled in Sioux Falls.
Indian Grass grows across the United States - from Eastern Canada down to Florida and across to Utah and Arizona. It's also the state grass of Oklahoma and South Carolina!
photo
Bird's Eye View of Lumberyards on East Bank of Big Sioux River in Downtown Sioux Falls, ca. 1945. Image courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums [SHM 1989.26.18].
graphic
How many trees does it take to build a house?
one house +/-2,000 square feet = 16,000 board feet* of framing lumber
*one board foot = 1" thick by 1' wide by 1' length = approximately 70 trees with 18" trunk diameters at breast height, at 35' tall
indian grass
Sorghastrum nutans
The grasses identified on these signs are native to South Dakota and may have grown on this very site before people settled in Sioux Falls.
Indian Grass grows across the United States - from Eastern Canada down to Florida and across to Utah and Arizona. It's also the state grass of Oklahoma and South Carolina!
photo
Bird's Eye View of Lumberyards on East Bank of Big Sioux River in Downtown Sioux Falls, ca. 1945. Image courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums [SHM 1989.26.18].
March 26, 2022
5. Lumberyards Marker (middle), from the north
March 26, 2022
6. Lumberyards Marker (middle), from the south
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 3, 2022. This page has been viewed 221 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on April 3, 2022.
