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Vermillion in Clay County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
 

Governor Andrew E. Lee

 
 
Governor Andrew E. Lee Marker image. Click for full size.
April 15, 2023
1. Governor Andrew E. Lee Marker
Inscription.
Andrew E. Lee was born near Bergen, Norway, on March 18, 1847. When Lee was four, he and his family moved to Wisconsin. After receiving a general school education, Lee arrived in Vermillion, Dakota Territory, in 1867.

Lee and Charles E. Prentis owned and operated the Main Street mercantile store Lee & Prentis for almost half a century. They also ran a large and successful farming and ranching operation.

In 1872, Lee married Annie Chappell. They had one daughter, Jessamine (Lee) Fox.

Lee entered the political arena in 1891 when voters elected him Vermillion alderman. Beginning in 1892, Vermillion voters twice elected him mayor.

In 1896, Lee ran for Governor of South Dakota supported by a coalition of Populists, Democrats, and Silver Republicans. Under the Populist banner, Lee served two terms (1897-1901) as the third Governor in the state's history.

Lee championed initiative and referendum. In 1898, South Dakota became the first state to adopt that reform.

At the age of 87, Lee died March 19, 1934, in his Vermillion home.

Governor Lee is commemorated by the Andrew E. Lee Memorial Medicine and Science Building on land he donated to the University of South Dakota.
 
Erected 2016. (Marker Number 706.)
 
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This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota State Historical Society Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.
 
Location. 42° 46.756′ N, 96° 56.056′ W. Marker is in Vermillion, South Dakota, in Clay County. Marker is on West Main Street west of South Market Street, on the right when traveling east. Located in Ratingen Platz in Downtown Vermillion. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 110 W Main St, Vermillion SD 57069, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Clay County Veterans Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Downtown Vermillion (approx. 0.2 miles away); The First Baptist Church, Vermillion, South Dakota (approx. 0.2 miles away); Grand Lodge Constitution Site (approx. 0.3 miles away); Site of the First Permanent School House in Dakota Territory (approx. 0.3 miles away); Old Vermillion (approx. 0.4 miles away); Confluence of the Vermillion and Missouri Rivers (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lewis and Clark / Vermillion (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Vermillion.
 
Governor Andrew E. Lee Marker, from the west image. Click for full size.
April 15, 2023
2. Governor Andrew E. Lee Marker, from the west
Governor Andrew E. Lee Marker, from the east image. Click for full size.
April 15, 2023
3. Governor Andrew E. Lee Marker, from the east
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 29, 2023. This page has been viewed 63 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on April 29, 2023.

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Mar. 28, 2024