Salem Rest Area

Salem Rest Area (HMOTO)

Location: Salem, SD 57058 McCook County
Buy South Dakota State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 43° 39.955', W 97° 25.346'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 505 views
Inscription
South Dakota's rich western heritage has been remembered along the Interstate highway system at safety rest areas and tourist information centers.

The eight pillars which thrust skyward here merge in the framework of a tipi, the Plains Indian home. The one-by-one and one-half foot concrete lodgepoles rise fifty-six feet in the air and weigh six-and-one-half tons each. The structures were executed in an architectural manner reflecting the spartan lifestyle of the nomadic Lakota (Sioux) Nation.

Beneath each tipi are several concrete isosceles triangles, a basic design of the Lakota Nation, set in a pattern to form a thunderbird, another traditional Indian symbol.

The building which houses the rest rooms and tourist information center is fashioned after the sod houses and dugouts which dotted the South Dakota prairie during pioneer days. Four miles north of here the town of Salem reflects the influence of the railroad in opening Dakota Territory to settlement.

Salem, named after the Massachusetts community, was platted in 1880 and for two years after was the most important railroad point between Sioux Falls and Mitchell. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway reached Salem in the fall and winter of 1880-81, but the blizzard of 1881 prevented the lines immediate use. During the summer of 1883 the Dakota Central division of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway was completed through the town.

In 1882 Salem, then called Melas, became the third county seat for McCook County in the space of four years, a status it has retained. Although the railroads no longer have the influence of years ago, communities such as Salem serve as reminders that railroads often led, rather than followed, settlement.
Details
HM NumberHMOTO
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, October 2nd, 2014 at 12:07pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)14T E 627188 N 4835977
Decimal Degrees43.66591667, -97.42243333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 43° 39.955', W 97° 25.346'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds43° 39' 57.30" N, 97° 25' 20.76" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)605
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 154-198 Unnamed Road, Salem SD 57058, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?