Sometimes the whole world suddenly makes a little more sense.
Like a few years back when I shot an assignment in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and I realized for the first time that it was named for the waterfalls. On the Big Sioux River.
Well, of course.
It’s not that I didn’t believe it before. I just hadn’t given it much thought.
Back in 1990 Karen and I were backpacking through Europe sharing a train compartment with some local fellas. One of them was slicing his apple with a Swiss Army Knife and we had a little conversation that went like this:
Me: “Nice knife.”
Him: “Thanks”
“Where’d you get it?”
“They issued one to everybody when I was in the army.”
“Which army?”
“The Swiss one.”
Well, of course…
I’m back in Sioux Falls for a couple days. I stopped by the falls this morning but didn’t linger in the 14 degree air. Warmly tucked into a coffee shop I Googled a little history of the town and it goes something like this:
25,000 BC (or so) the Sioux tribe came to North America
1856 the first European settlers set up shop by the falls
1862 European settlers left, fearing Sioux violence
1865 a fort was built to encourage European resettlement
1874 a scourge of grasshoppers made life hard (I’m glad this doesn’t happen much any more)
1878 the railroad came to town
2015 Augustana College booked my exhibit and brought me to town
I’m sure there is more, but I am in a bit of a rush to bring my exhibit down to Sioux City next…hmm…I wonder…I’ll have to read up on that.
WideEyedRambler 