Seven plaques, transcribed.

On Sunday July 11, 1920, at McKennan Park, several thousand people attended the first concert of the Sioux Falls Municipal Band. A year earlier, in the first city election allowing women to vote, citizens approved a proposal to support a city band.

The Cosmopolitan Club led a project to build a band shell as a gift to the city. On dedication Sunday, July 4, 1926, evening ceremonies marking the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence drew an enormous audience of 10,000 person to this site.

Frequent changes in conductors, economic woes of the 1930s, and World War II threatened the band's very existence. Two strong leaders kept the band alive. Russel D. Henegar, formerly of the famous Sousa Band, conducted the band for 29 seasons (1935-63). Leland A. Lillehaug, who in 1964 added the first women musicians to the all-male group, led the band for 23 seasons (1964-86).

A Sioux Falls Municipal Band concert on a Sunday afternoon in McKennan Park provides a rare vignette of Americana for the fortunate citizens of this area.

A Park Born in Controversy

Helen McKennan's will, gifting 20 acres of land for a new park, became the center of intense public debate after her death in 1906. She also gave her home, the former residence of Col. Melvin Grigsby, to be sold to fund park improvements.

Mayor Frank W. Pillsbury considered selling 10 park acres with the home. Public sentiment and an emphatic appeal by Edwin A. Sherman, estate executor, convinced the City Council to honor the wishes of Helen McKennan. Creation and development of this 20-acre park was assured.

McKennan Park Zoo

A 1915 McKennan Park inventory lists ostriches, deer, a monkey, wolves, opossum, pheasants, ducks, a pelican, eagles, a parrot, and phoenix fowl as the collection of animals and birds at the park.

Park Board president Edwin A. Sherman expressed concern about care required for the menagerie and about encroachment of the animal quarters, located in the northeast corner of the park, "on the picnic and pleasure grounds". The collections here and at other city parks were moved to Sherman Park in 1930 and evolved into the Great Plains Zoo.

With World War II threatening the tranquility of the United States in 1940, Oscar Ellefson, caretaker and builder of many early McKennan Park attractions, proposed a new project. Ellefson envisioned designing and building two pillars made of stones native to each of then 48 states that would symbolize the unity and strength of the nation. With help from the Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce, letters were sent to chamber offices in every state capital requesting specimens of local stone.

Nationwide patriotic fervor fueled the project. All states readily responded with stones found in their locales. The pillars were completed in August 1941 and were named "The Pillars of the Nation."

Emil M. Christianson of Hills, Minnesota, earlier had donated native South Dakota stone fossils and Indian artifacts to build the two older pillars.

In 1999 the Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department refurbished all four pillars and installed lighting fixtures on the "South Dakota " pillars.

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Mrs. John Wichtman in Honor of their Daughters, Meg and Laura.

Lady Liberty first graced McKennan Park in 1942 although the statue was not formally dedicated until August 1, 1943. As several thousand watched, twins Thelma and Elma Iverson unveiled a wood carving of the Statue of Liberty. The statue had been owned by pioneer Charles A. Sells who said that it was carved as a model by Frederic A. Bartholdi, sculptor of the Statue of Liberty located on Liberty Island, New York City.

A public subscription conducted by the Sioux Falls Garden Club raised funds to buy

the carving, and Sells presented a bill of sale to Mayor C.M. Whitfield. Years later the statue was removed because of vandalism.

On October 28, 1886, when accepting the gift of the original Lady Liberty from France for America, President Grover Cleveland said, "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home: nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."

The new bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty was place on the restored stone pedestal in 2002 returning Lady Liberty to McKennan Park once again.

County Historical Society in Memory of Dr. Verlynne and Suzanne Volin.

The Helen McKennan Home was built by Col. Melvin Grigsby on land platted as part of the Boulevard Addition in 1883. The elegant, two and a half story Italiante structure sat on what became the northwest corner of the Park. Helen McKennan lived there from 1898 until her death in 1906. Helen planted many shade trees on the future park site and enjoyed seeing people come to enjoy the natural beauty of the land. Before her death, she bequeathed her home and adjoining property to establish a city park. The home was leased to the Red Cross in 1941. It was torn down in 1961 due to its deteriorated condition.

323 East Boulevard (21st Street)

in the back yard of the then still standing McKennan Home under the shade of the large trees on the property.

The original McKennan Park pond was constructed as a small lake in 1908 by E. A. Sherman to beautify the park. It served as a "swimming hole" until 1929 when a permanent concrete wading pool was built south and west of the Sunken Gardens. This McKennan Park wading pool introduced many children to swimming and included a fountain. It was replaced with a new wading pool in 1971 carrying on the tradition of having a pool in the park.

As a fixture in the park, the McKennan pool holds multigenerational memories for families in Sioux Falls. "Growing up in the 1950-60's, the wading pool was always overflowing with children playing for hours until their skin looked like 'prunes'. Even though the pool was shallow with a rough bottom, we loved creating new water games and enjoyed endless summer fun."

Built in 1931 by Park Employees, the Miniature Rock Garden and Village was located northeast of the Formal Gardens near the Park Greenhouses. Boasting a miniature town with homes, a church, light and power buildings, a model railroad, and a goldfish pond, the Miniature Village captivated the interest of children and other park goers for thirty years until 1961 when it had to be removed due to damage.

"McKennan Park was magical to me when I was a child. I remember pulling myself up on the garden wall to look at the Miniature Village - an image that is still clear to me today especially the church and goldfish pond with the little fisherman."