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B Top 5: Hard Times,
The
SECTION
OBSTACLES
PRESS&
DAKOTAN
Life In Yankton: 1912-1961
Saturday 8.6.11
Wars And The River
Yankton s second 50 years saw tremendous
change in the community, filled with dramatic
highs and lows. Ultimately, one wonders if the
residents of 1912 Yankton would have recognized
the Yankton of 1961, the latter being a far, far different place from the former in so many ways.
1. THE DIRTY THIRTIES
In hindsight, it could be argued or at
least we ll argue it here that no event impacted Yankton more during these middle 50
years than the nightmare the region faced in
the 1930s.
It s often too easy to look at the harrowing
years of the 1930s as one traumatic event. Instead, it was the result of the devastating onetwo punch of an economic upheaval the
Great Depression unleashed by the 1929
crash and the crippling Dust Bowl seen
now as one of the greatest manmade ecological disasters ever that coincidentally followed shortly thereafter. This wrought a
nightmarish world in which life for many people reverted back to what life was probably
like for the souls who comprised Yankton in
1861: a relentless struggle for survival.
This was an age filled with countless stories that were attached to practically every
family tree that was planted in the dust here.
The economic times were brutal; the land and
the sky had seemingly given up on the people.
There were tales of business failure, banking
uncertainties, social and civil unrest and
burned-up crops. Some of those with jobs
took steep pay cuts just to stay employed.
Mount Marty College officials at one point
voted to accept livestock and produce as a
means of paying tuition in lieu of money. Entire families scavenged for food. Some families
simply uprooted and moved away, never to return.
And there are many such stories in practically every family. They are worth seeking
P&D ARCHIVE PHOTO
An aerial photo of Gavins Point Dam, circa 1961. The spanning of the river, first by the
Meridian Bridge, then by the dam, were among the top stories for Yankton from 1912-1961.
out while you still can.
The Dirty Thirties dramatically altered life
in this community. As it happened, this
decade also steeled the children of the Great
Depression for the momentous events that
loomed on the horizon.
2. THE BUILDING OF MERIDIAN BRIDGE
Before the Dirty Thirties changed Yankton,
the building of a permanent Missouri River
bridge in 1924 changed life here in this instance, in a very good way.
While the Missouri River was always a
blessing for Yankton, it was also a maddening
hurdle, not to mention a terrifying beast (see
the Flood of 1881 for an example of the latter). Simply crossing the river proved to be a
formidable task. For decades, those looking
to get across the Missouri were forced to rely
on pontoon bridges or ferryboats, or travel
across the ice of the frozen river during the
winter. It nurtured a dream of a permanent
structure to cross the river. And as Yankton
moved deeper into the 20th century, the
dream became a genuine need if the town
hoped to continue being a regional center.
The dream was finally realized in 1924 with
the opening of a double-decker draw bridge,
which prompted a great community celebration. What followed was many years of toll-taking to retire the debt, which was finally
achieved in 1953, again creating a celebration.
The bridge served motorists for more than
80 years before the opening of the Discovery
Bridge in 2008. The Meridian is about to be
converted into a pedestrian bridge, promising
to continue serving Yankton for many more
years to come.
3. THE BUILDING OF GAVINS POINT DAM
Crossing the river was one thing; taming
it was quite another matter and perhaps
beyond the reach of even the wildest dreamers at one point.
But when Congress passed the Pick-Sloan
TOP 5 | PAGE 18B
P&D ARCHIVE PHOTO
The hopeless universe of what would become the broken, bone-dry 1930s
was embodied in this sign hoisted by a Yankton farmer in 1930 after a
drought destroyed his crops. It was the first of many hard years to come
for area residents and the nation in general. (From the book Yankton: The
Way It Was! by Bob Karolevitz)
Graham Tire s
original location
on 4th Street
was formerly
Clem s Tire
Service.
Front row: Jim L., Stuart, Laurie, Shane, Tim.
Back row: Rod, Jim K., Derek, Tyler, Bryan
On-Farm
Tire Service
Faithful Em
ployees
Rod (left) em
ployed with
us since
1978. Bryan
(right) has
been with
us since 198
4
Over 60 years in business & still going strong.
Thank you for letting us be
Your Tire Store Next Door!!
Groundbreaking for the new store took place in July 2004 & Graham Tire
opened for business at the current location in the winter of 2004.
www.grahamtire.com 665-4406
2704 Fox Run Pkwy Yankton, SD 57078
