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

President Woodrow Wilson

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

1. President Woodrow Wilson Marker (side 1)

Inscription.
(side 1)
President Woodrow Wilson came to Sioux Falls on September 8, 1919, as part of a 29-city campaign to stump for the Treaty of Versailles, which included the League of Nations. An excited crowd of onlookers cheered the 28th President’s arrival at the Omaha Railroad depot.

A parade of decorated autos drove to the Coliseum along a route resplendent with flags and banners. Waiting to hear the President were 2000 women seated in the balcony of the auditorium and 5000 men standing on the main floor, all seats having been removed.

(side 2)
Wilson, architect of the League of Nations, argued that approval of the treaty of peace with Germany would help to avoid future conflicts among nations. The treaty set up an international system of land titles with no nation having the right to take any territory of another.

Three weeks later the President became ill and was unable to continue his tour. With Wilson sidelined and refusing to compromise, the Senate defeated the treaty, and the United States remained outside the League of Nations.

Erected 2003 by Minnehaha County Historical Society, Mary Chilton DAR Foundation, the City of Sioux Falls, and Midcontinent Foundation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Peace

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• Railroads & Streetcars • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Former U.S. Presidents: #28 Woodrow Wilson series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is September 8, 1919.

Location. 43° 33.149′ N, 96° 43.722′ W. Marker is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in Minnehaha County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on West 5th Street (North Dakota Avenue) west of North Main Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, on the south side of West 5th Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: 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. Divorce Capital (here, next to this marker); Dakota Iron Store (a few steps from this marker); The Coliseum (within shouting distance of this marker); The Hanging of an Innocent Man (within shouting distance of this marker); John Deere (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Minnehaha County Courthouse (about 300 feet away); Jewett Bros. & Jewett Warehouse (about 400 feet away); President William McKinley (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sioux Falls.

Also see . . .

President Woodrow Wilson Marker (<i>side 2</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

2. President Woodrow Wilson Marker (side 2)

President Wilson's Visit to Sioux Falls, 1919. The time was September 1919; the topic was the Treaty of Versailles. It lay so heavily on the president's mind that he embarked upon a tour stretching from Columbus, Ohio, to Cahfomia and back to Colorado, where his collapse necessitated the cancellation of his remaining speeches. The president had broken precedent by going to Paris himself to negotiate a treaty following the armistice of November 1918, and when the United States Senate hesitated to approve his work, he took to the road to defend the treaty against both those who demanded modifications and those who opposed the treaty even with proposed reservations. (Submitted on October 4, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

President Woodrow Wilson Marker (<i>tall view; looking east toward North Main Avenue</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

3. President Woodrow Wilson Marker (tall view; looking east toward North Main Avenue)

President Woodrow Wilson Marker (<i>wide view looking west; Minnehaha Courthouse in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 21, 2016

4. President Woodrow Wilson Marker (wide view looking west; Minnehaha Courthouse in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 2, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 299 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 4, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.