Aberdeen Magazine January/February 2018

THE ABERDEEN WINGS

TAKE THE CITY BY STORM ON AND OFF THE ICE

POWER PLAY

04 FROM THE EDITOR

18 RESOLUTIONS FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH

Normalizing the discussion on mental illness brings awareness to the topic and helps to diminish the stigma surrounding it. Footsteps Counseling has some practical advice for anyone looking to take care of their mental health in 2018.

20 FAMILY, FAITH, AND COMMUNITY

Samantha Miller talks about running a business while taking care of her family as her Farmer’s Wife Boutique celebrates its second anniversary of being a familiar face on Main Street.

24 PLAYING FROM THE HEART

Emily Engelhart has performed in countless orchestras and symphonies, but find out why performing as a live solo violinist in the Aberdeen area has been one of the best experiences of her career to date.

26 BROADCASTING LEGENDS

28 PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST

Frank C. Ashford left for a career in art, but always came home to Aberdeen.

30 LET’S PLAY HOCKEY

The Aberdeen Wings can fly across the ice, win championships, and draw a huge fan base, but coach Scott Langer says they’re biggest accomplishment is launching their players into a good future.

32

THE LEGACY OF A GOOD NAME

Learn how RhodesAnderson Insurance has managed to thrive in Aberdeen since the late 1800s.

36 PAUERING THE SOUND OF ABERDEEN

From Rock School, to performing, to selling guitars, to mastering sound production, Scott Sauer knows all the ins and outs of bringing flawless entertainment to every venue.

40 GONE PLATINUM

42 DRIFTING GOOSE

Get acquainted with the fascinating history of Drifting Goose, a Sioux chief who strategically used nonviolent measures to keep settlers and the railroad from crossing his land, changed the course of South Dakota development, and in later years focused on empowering his people through education.

46 SAY GOODBYE TO CABIN FEVER

14 CALENDAR

16 POWERFUL IN PINK

The pink ladies have one mission: to make sure no one has to fight cancer alone. You can be sure they’ll step in and help their neighbors in need, and have a lot of fun along the way.

Country music fan and radio voice Jay Dean Haaland is quickly gaining national attention for his latest program, Country Legends Jukebox with Jay Dean.

2014 Miss Rodeo South Dakota Melynda Sletten has transformed a historic home into a luxury salon and spa. Take a tour of her building and all its vintage appeal.

We’re taking the fun indoors this winter and giving you all the details on our favorite local destinations to bring the family when you’re looking to spend a day out and about.

48

IT’S OUR 30TH ISSUE!

At Aberdeen Magazine we’re celebrating our 30th issue and the start of our 6th year of publication.

ON THE COVER January and February are prime months for hockey season. Our hometown amateur hockey team, the Aberdeen Wings, have brought an explosion of entertainment and enthusiasm to sports fans at the Odde Ice Arena since their formation just seven years ago. Pictured on the cover is Wings forward Adam Pitters in action at game time. Photo by Troy McQuillen

One of the most difficult parts for me when it comes to writing is just getting started, especially when writing these letters from the editor to all of you. My pen always stays still against the paper as I question how the best way to begin would be. Greetings Aberdeen? Hello Aberdonians? How are you, dear readers? Next come all the doubts. Will I make an obvious error in an article? Will anyone like my writing style? Usually once I quit overthinking it all and just start moving the pen, everything turns out okay. For whatever reason, it’s the initial moments of a project that are always the hardest.

The thing I’ve learned while working on this issue of Aberdeen Magazine is that embarking on anything new is scary for pretty much everyone. We might not realize this at first because successful businesses are everywhere here, and at a glance we as their customers only see them as they are now, years into their companies and with things going well. But here is one of my new favorite things about this area: as a small community we get to know our business owners on a more personal level, and most of them are more than willing to share the journeys they took to get started and all the doubts, questions, setbacks, and successes they’ve had along the way.

For example, did you know that Scott Sauer, who owns one of the most successful sound production companies in the state, says he would never have started Pauer Sound if it hadn’t been for the constant encouragement of a fellow business owner (page 36)? Or that Emily Engelhart, a local musician who can make anyone stop in their tracks and listen when she gets out her violin, almost didn’t go into business as a solo performing artist because of her fear of stage fright (page 24)? Can you imagine the courage and hard work it would take to turn your online hobby into a storefront on Main Street? That is exactly what Samantha Miller did with her Farmer’s Wife Boutique, which is celebrating its two year anniversary of being open in the Ward Hotel at the beginning of this year (page 20). How would it feel to launch a radio program you’ve dreamed about doing since you were a little kid, like Jay Dean Haaland is doing right now with his new show Country Legends Jukebox with Jay Dean (page 26)? Everyone mentioned here and throughout this entire issue had to make the decision to get started, and I really think all of us benefit from it simply because they took a chance and did something new. Along with the initial leap of faith, there has been one more important factor that almost every business owner I have talked to will mention, and that is how the support from the Aberdeen community, combined with the city’s central location to surrounding areas, has made for a positive experience in starting their companies here.

It’s a new year, the perfect time to start something new. If you have a goal or something you’ve been wanting to bring forward in the community, make 2018 your year to go for it. Once you begin, there’s no telling how far you’ll go.

Jenny Roth, MANAGING EDITOR

THIS ISSUE'S CONTRIBUTORS

MIKE MCCAFFERTY has worked with numerous tribes in the Great Plains Region in the areas of education, human services, housing, and economic development for the past 33 years. He is an avid historian, accomplished wtriter, professional fisherman, and trainer. His passion is Great Plains history, and he currently serves as a member of the Brown County Dacotah Prairie Museum Board. Mike has had over 200 articles printed in outdoor magazines throughout the Midwest and Canada.

ISSN 2378-3060

MANAGING EDITOR

Jenny Roth

PUBLISHER

Troy McQuillen

DESIGN

Eliot Lucas

PROOFREADER

Carly Brousek

AD SALES

Abby McQuillen abby@mcquillencreative.com

PUBLICATION OFFICE

McQuillen Creative Group 423 S. Main St., Suite 1 Aberdeen SD, 57401 (605) 226-3481

PRINTING

Midstates Printing

SUBMISSIONS

Aberdeen Magazine welcomes your input. Message us your story ideas, drop off historic photos, or stop in for a chat. Email us at: troy@mcquillencreative.com

WEBSITE

www.aberdeenmag.com

PRIVACY STATEMENT

Any personal information, email addresses, or contact submitted to the editorial office or online via our Facebook page will not be sold or distributed. Aberdeen Magazine does wish to publish public comments and attitudes regarding Aberdeen, therefore written submissions and comments on our Facebook page implies permission to utilize said information in editorial content.

Aberdeen Magazine is produced exclusively in Aberdeen, South Dakota. All content is copyright with all rights reserved. No content may be shared, copied, scanned, or posted online without permission. Please just ask us first. We’re pretty flexible.

www.mcquillencreative.com

PATRICK GALLAGHER is a regular contributor commenting on Aberdeen’s personality, food options, and history.

YOUR SOURCE FOR WHAT’S HAPPENING IN ABERDEEN

THE hub

LIBRARY RINGS IN THE NEW YEAR WITH A FULL SCHEDULE

For the past few months the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library has been on a brief hiatus from most of their regularly scheduled programs while they transitioned into their new building. Some special events and books clubs started back up at the end of 2017 as library staff settled in, and their full schedule will soon be up and running with many programs getting underway in January.

ABERDEEN MALL ADDS TO FOOD COURT WITH LOCAL FAVORITES

Aberdeen Mall shoppers have more options when grabbing a bite to eat thanks to Blaine and Jennifer Larson. The couple recently opened two new eateries in the mall’s food court. Wishbone’s Smokehouse, previously located on 6th Avenue and before that in the New Orleans area, serves up meals like authentic gumbo, soups, fabulous briskets, smoked baked potatoes, buffalo, goose, and chili. “We just do real, good tasting comfort food. Everything is fresh, never frozen. We try to make it five-star quality for everyone,” Blaine says. One local favorite is a sandwich called

“The Sleeper,” which includes everything from brisket, pulled pork, coleslaw, and jalapeños on a hoagie bun.

Their second restaurant front, FarmBoys, is like an extension of Wishbone’s, but with lighter salads, soups, and sandwiches on the menu. Before coming to the mall, the Larsons were serving their food through their home catering business near Summit. In addition to their new brick and mortar locations, they say they will also continue to operate the catering services for customers wanting food delivered for special events. // — Jenny

Roth

Back by popular demand for adults are Trivia Tuesdays, starting January 17, as well as Cooking Club, beginning January 24. For the youngest book lovers, ages infant through five years, the library will host story times filled with music, language, and activities as early as the third week in January. In February, children kindergarten through 5th grade can start participating in weekly classes with various themes that employ science, technology, engineering, and math skills. Teen Cooking Club, Teen Time, and Teen Trivia Thursdays will also resume in February. // — Jenny

Roth

For more information, or to register for programs at the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, call 605-626-7097 or visit www.aberdeen.sd.us/library.

 A group of young library goers and their caregivers enjoy a puppet show and story at the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

 Blaine, Jennifer, and Caleb Larson stand outside their new eateries in the Aberdeen Mall.

break away from MOPS and create their own community. “We wanted to put our own spin on things and make the group better accessible to all women. We were able to significantly reduce sign-up dues and to open it up to all moms, no matter who they are or what stage of parenting they are in.”

HUB CITY MOMS GROUP WELCOMES ALL MOTHERS

A group of local women has put together a support system for Aberdeen area mothers called Hub City Moms. Lisa Wobst, who co-leads the organization along with Jessica Fischer, says their group used to be a branch of the international nonprofit MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), but this year they decided to

STAND OUT WITH ABERDEEN’S DAY OF DISTINCTION

How can we improve our local businesses and help out in our community at the same time? This is the question tackled by Aberdeen’s new nonprofit organization, Day of Distinction. Founded in July 2017 by members of that year’s Aberdeen Leadership Class, the group is focused on helping everyone, especially business leaders, grow in personal and professional development. They believe that individual improvement doesn’t just stop at one person, but instead goes further by creating motivation and sparking original ideas that can in turn better the entire community. To bring personal growth, business development, and community support all together, they host an annual “Day of Distinction.” This signature event features an assortment of meaningful speakers and uses its ticket proceeds to help with a local cause.

Last year’s Day of Distinction sold about 200 tickets and raised $1,000 for

the Boys and Girls Club. Group leaders Brady Carda and Garrett Brunmaier say that they received such fantastic support from attendees in the event’s inaugural year that it encouraged them to move forward with the nonprofit. They are already busy planning their 2018 Day of Distinction, which will take place on March 7 at the Johnson Fine Arts Center.

Currently, Hub City Moms has about 50 members who meet at New Life Church every other week during the school year. Child care is provided at their meetings so moms can enjoy a volunteer-made breakfast, participate in activities, and listen to experts in the community who come in and deliver education on popular parenting topics. Lisa explains, “Every meeting has its own theme. For example, one week we had the Aberdeen Police Department talk to us about child safety, and another time we had a child psychologist from Northern come in and talk about childhood anxiety.” She adds that their goal is to be a place where women feel welcomed to come and learn, feel empowered, and share their experiences with friends. // — Jenny Roth

According to Brady and Garrett, some topics to be covered at this year’s event include innovation and bridging the gap between generations in the workplace. “We want to be beneficial to small businesses by bringing in noteworthy speakers and resources for them.” // — Jenny Roth

 Currently Day of Distinction has twelve board members, and they are actively looking for additional members, volunteers, and sponsors. For more information, email dayofdistinction@gmail.com, find them on Facebook, or follow @DayODistinction on Twitter.

 Members of Hub City Moms, a local support organization for all mothers, pose for a group photo at one of their meetings.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 Representing Day of Distinction are founders Brady Carda, Garrett Brunmaier, Bea Fischer, and Emily Monsen.

 For more information about joining Hub City Moms, find them on Facebook or call Lisa Wobst at 515-333-8688.

SPONSORED BY

AN ADVOCATE FOR RURAL POSSIBILITIES

Author Heidi Marttila-Losure has dedicated much of her professional life to uncovering the potential and beauty of rural places. In her newly released book, Sky Theater, Heidi continues to shed light on the great opportunities and noteworthy topics that exist in our rural communities.

Sky Theater is a collection of essays and photographs that Heidi produced during her five years as the editor of Dakotafire Magazine, a journalism project that served the Dakotas from 2011 until 2017. Her essays weave together her personal experiences of living on her family’s farm near Frederick with important issues that most small communities face today. The name Sky Theater comes from what Heidi says is one of rural South Dakota’s best treasures, its big,

open sky. To share this natural theater with her readers, Heidi includes in her book over 50 photographs of the sky and its dramatic weather changes, most of which were captured in the countryside surrounding her farm.

According to a press release, Sky Theater is a must-read for anyone who “cares about rural places, and who cares about building community and meaningful lives, no matter where they live.” It is available now for purchase at dakotafire. net/store, Amazon.com, and the Community Store in Frederick. // —

Jenny Roth

 For more information, contact Heidi Marttila-Losure, 605-290-3335 or heidi@dakotafire.net.

FREE ADMISSION!

FEBRUARY

20-22,

2018 AT THE BEST WESTERN RAMKOTA

Tues. Feb. 20th – Noon – 6pm

Wed. Feb. 21st – 9am – 6pm

Thurs. Feb. 22nd – 9am – 5pm

This year we have made some big changes to the Annual Aberdeen Ag Expo. We have moved locations across town to the Best Western Ramkota. There are many positives for the move but the biggest one is there is going to more than ample parking for all the show goers. We will also have more room to do some outside displays as long as the weather cooperates. We are also working on an exciting list of speakers that will be providing you with a ton of information. aberdeenagexpo.com

PRESENTED BY

Can’t have a booth at the show?

Consider being part of the pre-show mailer. Contact Dakota Broadcasting for more details.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 Heidi Marttila-Losure shares her love for rural South Dakota and all the opportunities it holds in her newly released book, Sky Theater.

A TASTE OF HISTORY

Local chefs put their own spin on Aberdeen’s classic pheasant sandwich recipe

This past November, the Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted the first ever Pheasant Sandwich Shootout cooking contest at the historic Milwaukee Depot. A total of 11 contestants, eight in the home chef category and three in the restaurant chef division, brought their culinary creations in front of a panel of judges who sampled the sandwiches and had the tough job of determining a winner.

Judges were Tyler Oliver from the Aberdeen American News, Dacotah Prairie Museum's Sue Gates, NSU President Dr. Timothy Downs, CVB Board of Directors President Gretchen Sharp, and Emmett Lenihan with Pheasants Forever.

Ultimately, Rachel Hogan of Pine Shadows Daybreak Lodge in Brainerd, MN, took away first place among restaurant chefs. Her toasted slider bun sandwich topped with shredded, braised pheasant thigh and leg meat tossed in a special barbecue sauce and served “Memphis” style with coleslaw on top was a hit. For home chefs, Jason Hill came out with a victory thanks to his one-of-a-kind “Coq Au Vin” pheasant melt sandwich. First place winners received a plaque, a $300 Aberdeen Chamber gift card, and perhaps most importantly, bragging rights. Second and third place entries also received a $200 and $100 Chamber gift card.

The event started with an open house in the afternoon where about 120 people came in and sampled classic pheasant sandwiches while touring the depot and James Valley Model Railroad Club display. Pheasant canteen ladies, who helped serve pheasant sandwiches to troops passing through Aberdeen during WWII, were on hand sharing their stories, as were many veterans with experiences of being at the depot and shipping out from there during their time in the service. // —

Jenny Roth

Photos by Abby McQuillen and Aberdeen CVB

Check out the winning pheasant sandwich recipies on the next page!

Daybreak’s Pulled Pheasant Slider with Honey-Lime Slaw

A SOUTH DAKOTA SPIN ON A SOUTHERN BBQ CLASSIC

Chef Rachel Hogan, Pine Shadows Daybreak

MAKES 12 SLIDERS

FOR THE PHEASANT:

12-14 Pheasant Thighs (legs may be used too, they are just more challenging to shred and clean)

20 Cloves of Garlic

1 Yellow Onion, Sliced

Oil to Brown in (or Bacon Fat)

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 Tbs Cumin, Ground.

Course Kosher Salt

Beef broth

Bbq sauce

Hawaiian slider buns

Orange juice

• Preheat oven to 300. In a dutch oven, heat oil until hot. Sear pheasant thighs in batches, gaining color on both sides but not attempting to cook through. When the last batch is removed, add onion slices and cook until translucent ( 3-5 mins). Add garlic, smoked paprika, and cumin and cook one more minute to slightly toast the spices. Deglaze hot pan by pouring in 1 cup of beef broth and scraping up all the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the pheasant thighs back to the pan and add enough broth to just cover the meat. Bring to a simmer and cover. Place in a 300 oven and braise for 3 hours.

• After 3 hours remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Remove pheasant thighs from the broth and shred. Set aside. Take the remaining liquid, strain, and set aside onions/garlic. Cook down the broth until reduced by half. Blend the onion/garlic mixture until smooth and add back to the reduced broth. Take one part reduction and one part prepared bbq sauce and simmer together with a splash of orange juice. Season to taste.

• Pour warm sauce over the shredded meat to lightly coat. Serve on toasted Hawaiian buns topped with honey-lime slaw and a side dill pickle

FOR THE HONEY LIME SLAW:

1 Part Shredded Cabbage

1 Part Broccoli Slaw Mix

FOR THE DRESSING:

¼ C Honey

½ C Vegetable Oil

2 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Lime, Zest And Juice

Salt to Taste

½ tsp Cumin Seeds

• Mix all dressing ingredients together (if using a blender, add cumin seeds in last, by hand). Pour over the broccoli and cabbage. Allow to sit 15 mins, tossing several times to coat.

Pheasant Salad Sandwich “Coq Au Vin”

Jason Hill

MAKES 4 SANDWICHES FOR THE SANDWICHES:

1 Whole Pheasant

1 Bottle Red Wine (a Burgundy or Merlot)

1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary

1 Large Green Apple

1 Jar of Mayonnaise

1 Small Package Halfed Pecans

1 Stick of Butter

2-3 Medium Leaves of Fresh Sage

1 tsp Ground Sea Salt

½ tsp White Pepper

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

4 Slices Sharp Cheddar Cheese

8 Bacon Strips

1 Loaf of Beer Bread from CJ's Patisserie (or substitute with a thicker whole grain bread such as Esekiel brand)

1 Jar of Fig Cabernet Jelly (you can make it on your own if you wish or substitute with a rhubarb jelly or tart cherry jelly. You want a sweet/sour type of jelly or you can also disregard this ingredient all together)

TWO DAYS BEFORE:

• Combine the cleaned pheasant and whole bottle of red wine in a container and refrigerate for 24 hours. If you do not have a vessel that allows you to cover the whole pheasant with the wine, make sure to flip the pheasant after 12 hours. If your pheasant is not whole, marinate the pieces with enough wine so it is covered. Enjoy the remainder of the wine later with your meal!

ONE DAY BEFORE:

• Remove the pheasant from the wine, let it completely dry and discard the wine marinade. Pre-heat oven to 450. Roast pheasant at 450 for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and roast to internal temperature of 165 (about 25 minutes). Remove pheasant and cool quickly in refrigerator or wrap tight in Saran Wrap and cool in an ice bath. Let it cool 24 hours in the refrigerator. Dice a ½ stick of butter into small cubes and place in a bowl. Finely chop the fresh sage (do not use dry or powder) and combine it with the butter. Place in fridge.

SANDWICH DAY! WHEE!!

• Cook the bacon and leave it warming while you prep the rest of the sandwich. Place ¼ stick of butter and the entire package of pecans in a small

sauté pan over medium heat and toast the pecans until they are dark brown, then immediately remove from the heat and let cool. Peel and dice the apple into about ¼ inch chunks. Remove all the leaves from the sprig of rosemary and finely chop. Remove the breast, thighs, and leg meat in the largest pieces possible and finely chop the pheasant. Once all the meat has been removed, cut the pheasant into ¼ inch cubes.

SANDWICH PREP:

• Take out the sage butter and microwave until it is soft enough to spread. Mix together pheasant, pepper, salt, rosemary, diced apple, apple cider vinegar, pecans, and about 1 cup of mayonnaise. Add any additional mayo to your preferred consistency. (I like to have the mayo ‘dress’ the ingredients but I can still see every ingredient in the salad.) Pre-heat a griddle pan or flat top griddle to medium-high temp. Cut the bread into ½ inch slices and butter one side with the sage butter and the other side with a fig cabernet jelly (or substitute). Place butter side down on the grill. Add one slice of cheese and two strips of bacon onto the same piece of bread. Add one heaping scoop of the pheasant salad to the other. Toast until bread is browned, about 1 minute on medium-high heat, remove, combine and enjoy!

CHEF'S NOTE

The salad is better if you give it an additional day to sit in the refrigerator so all the flavors and science do their work, just like soup is better on day two!

JANUARY & FEBRUARY

ABERDEEN CITYWIDE YOGATHON

January 27, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Profiling Beauty Health and Wellness Center and the YMCA

Fee: Donation to Safe Harbor

 Bend into your favorite yoga poses for a good cause. Participants bring a monetary donation, all of which goes to Safe Harbor, and can take part in as many yoga classes as they want throughout the day at locations around town. Dedicated Yogathoners who sign up ahead of time and attempt to do six hours of straight yoga (with short breaks between classes) will receive a medal for their accomplishment.

HUB CITY RADIO WINTER

BIG BOY TOY SHOW

Feb. 10, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Feb 11, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

SAFE HARBOR’S MARDI GRAS EVENT

February 18, 5:00 PM

Ramkota Convention Center

$55 in advance, $65 after Feb 3

 Treat yourself to delicious food, casino-style games, and entertainment by the Six Appeal Vocal Band. Social hour and games start at 5:00 PM, followed by dinner at 7:00 PM and live music at 8:30 PM.

ABERDEEN AG EXPO

Feb. 20, 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM,

Feb. 21, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM,

Feb. 22, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Best Western Ramkota

Free Admission

JOSH ABBOTT BAND CONCERT

January 13, 7:00 PM

Dakota Event Center

$15-$30

 Get ready for a night of country music featuring the Josh Abbott Band from Texas and guest 32 Below from Fargo, ND. Tickets are on sale at www.tempotickets.com/dec/.

SOUTH DAKOTA SNOW QUEEN FESTIVAL

January 13, 7:00 PM

Aberdeen Civic Theatre

$15 adults, $5 students K-12

 This winter pageant has been a tradition in Aberdeen since the first snow queen was crowned in 1947. Young ladies from across the state will come together for the 2018 festivities for a week at the beginning of January, with coronation taking place the evening of January 13.

SOUTH DAKOTA JAZZ

FESTIVAL CONCERT

January 18, 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Johnson Fine Arts Center

$10

 The Aberdeen Community Concert Association, in conjunction with NSU’s School of Fine Arts, is again bringing nationally acclaimed live jazz music to Aberdeen. This year’s featured musician is The Hornheads. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the night of the concert.

HUB MUSIC & VENDING

OPEN 501 TEAM DART TOURNAMENT

January 19-21 (times vary)

Eagles Club

$150 per team

 Dart throwers of all ages and skills are welcome to gather a group of friends and try their luck at winning some extra cash in this open dart tournament. Team entries are due by January 16. Contact 216-1121 for details, or find the event form on Facebook.

Dakota Event Center Free Admission

 If your mind is already leaning towards summertime fun, then this is the event for you. Vendors will be on hand at the DEC showcasing their collections of boats, campers, docks, motorcycles, ATV’s, and other “big” items for the warm months ahead.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

February 16, 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Dakota Event Center

Individual tickets $50, table seating for eight starts at $400

 Take part in this fundraising event for the Aberdeen Boys & Girls Club and spend time with NFL Hall of Famer Chris Doleman. Over the course of his career, Chris played for the Vikings, Falcons, and 49ers. Many autographed live and silent auction items will be up for bid throughout the evening. For tickets, call 605-225-8714.

 Dakota Broadcasting hosts this annual three-day expo for the agricultural community. The public is welcome to browse vendor booths, take in equipment displays and demonstrations, and listen to informative speakers.

PRESENTATION

COLLEGE BLACK AND WHITE BALL

February 24, 6:00 PM – 11:30 PM

Dakota Event Center

Individual tickets $75

 Spend an elegant evening on the town with musical guest NashVegas All Stars at this fundraising gala for Presentation College student scholarships. To reserve your table or ticket, call 605-229-8454.

 NFL Hall of Famer Chris Doleman

 Josh Abbott Band

 Taryn Lamont of NashVegas All Stars

POWERFUL IN PINK

Ladies dart league aims at a good cause

by JENNY ROTH

ne of the best things about living in small-town South Dakota is that communities here often pull together during difficult circumstances. We’re known for reaching out and helping each other in times of need. The Aberdeen Pink Ladies Dart League is a perfect example of how anyone can go above and beyond for their neighbors and change lives in the process. Their motto, “No One Fights Alone,” is a powerful one. To make it a reality, they put in serious volunteer hours working to do all that they can for area families who ask them for help when they find themselves struggling after a loved one becomes ill. And while they may prefer to wear pink, the group wants everyone to know that they do not just support women with breast cancer, but are here for any man, woman, or child suffering from any form of cancer or life-altering illness.

When someone is sick, all kinds of unexpected expenses can arise in addition to medical bills, like travel costs to visit doctors and lost wages from having to miss work. It can be a lot for one person to deal with, especially while they also fight for

their health. This is where the Pink Ladies step in. Together with the family, they host benefits that raise funds to help ease the burden of these medical-related expenses. Pink Ladies member Brenda Christensen says, “Our benefits are different for each person, and we sit down with every family to learn exactly what kind of event they want to have.” So far the benefits they have done include dart tournaments, bean-bag tournaments, a chili contest cook-off, a rummage sale, bake sales, silent auctions, and more. And they don’t just show up on event day, but instead plan the entire thing, advertise, find donors for auction items, set up and work the event, and stay afterwards to clean up.

doing things like delivering gift baskets to patients going through chemotherapy, and cooking meals for those who aren’t feeling well after their treatments.

Pink Ladies groups exist all over the state thanks to Randy Oliver, who founded the initial league in Yankton in 2012 for his mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer. The pink ladies have grown so much in popularity since then that now hundreds of women are involved, and this past year the governor even declared October 14 officially “Pink Ladies Day.” They have extended their reach further than South Dakota as well, with organizations popping up across Iowa, Nebraska, and Canada. Their rapid expansion is mostly due to word of mouth, as more and more people keep finding out about their successful fundraisers.

Randy also helped form the Aberdeen Pink Ladies in 2013. To date, that league has about 50 active members. They meet most Tuesday nights throughout the year at different establishments around town to throw darts. Each member pays a small weekly fee, which also goes toward helping anyone that reaches out to them. Lisa Sudlow, league organizer, says, “A lot of the money we raise comes from our own girls putting in money every week to play darts.” She also explains that part of the reason they have been able to do so much for people and experience good turn-outs at their events is because in addition to the Pink Ladies , there are many other dart teams and players in the Aberdeen area. “Our dart community is great. When we announce we’re having an event, everyone comes to it, it doesn’t matter who it’s for.”

Even though their benefits are meant to raise money, a big part of what they do is raise spirits, too. League member Faye Goehring describes it well by saying, “We have quite a lot of fun, there’s a lot of laughing and crying at these benefits, and people leave feeling like they’ve added more people to their family.” Rather than giving to huge charities, they keep everything local and give all the money they raise directly to the area families. In addition to their fundraising events, you can also find them

The pink ladies are always welcoming to new members, and they insist you don’t have to be a pro at darts to be a part of their league. Member Kari Brown says that when she joined she had zero experience playing darts, but is so glad she decided to give it a try anyway. “I am not good at darts at all, but I started because I had some health issues and couldn’t play softball or do some of my other activities, and so I joined and I love it because it’s just for fun, we laugh a lot, and it’s for a good cause.” Her friend and team member Dawn Hall adds, “You definitely don’t have to be good at darts to play, and you might even surprise yourself!” //

 The Aberdeen Pink Ladies Dart League gathers every week to play darts and raise funds for community members suffering from serious illnesses.

 For more information on the Aberdeen Pink Ladies Dart League, go to www.facebook.com/ AberdeenPinkLadiesDartLeague.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

“We have quite a lot of fun.”

RESOLUTIONS FOR BETTER MENTAL HEALTH 10

Tips for feeling healthy and well in the new year from Footsteps Counseling

by JENNY ROTH

he new year means new resolutions, many of which focus on our physical health, like getting more exercise or eating right. These things are important, but overall health starts with the mind. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults will experience a mental health illness in their lifetime. Mental health conditions are so common and affect people of all genders and backgrounds, but often times there is still a stigma attached to mental health that makes it difficult to talk about and prevents people from seeking help when they aren’t feeling well.

We sat down with Heidie Holmstrom and Jerry Feist, two licensed professional counselors with Footsteps Counseling, to discuss mental health awareness. Heidie says both she and Jerry have a passion to “help people find ways to improve their lives and achieve the potential they are meant to be.” Through their private counseling practice they are able to provide support for most mental health diagnoses, including depression,

anxiety, adolescent behavioral issues, PTSD, and anger and relationship/ family issues.

Their advice on helping to end the stigma around mental illness is to simply be willing to talk about it. Recognize it can affect anyone, and be supportive and willing to listen if family and friends share their struggles with you. If you are looking for help, know that you cannot go wrong in taking care of yourself, and that there are plenty of options available to you right here in Aberdeen. The Health and Wellness Directory and Resource Guide created by the Chamber, which can be found online or around town, offers an ample list of local providers for all types of health concerns.

Along with their excellent advice for bringing awareness, Footsteps Counseling also shared with us the following practical steps that everyone can do to take care of their mental health and improve their overall well-being. //

 Footsteps Counseling is located at 514 S. Main Street. You can reach them by phone at 605-725-2155, or email info@footstepscounselingaberdeensd.com

FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET.

Getting proper nutrition plays a major role in your mental health. Eating foods that are good for you allows your body to function properly every day.

KEEP MOVING.

Physical activity through exercise increases your heart rate, and in turn causes your body to release endorphins, neurotransmitters that help create feelings of happiness. Exercise is also shown to provide stress relief and reduce symptoms of depression.

GET THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF Z’S.

Getting the proper amount of sleep keeps you at your best. Sleep is your body’s chance to rest and repair itself after a long and stressful day. The key is finding the balance between not enough sleep and oversleeping.

BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS. Healthy friendships and social connections with our family, coworkers, and community can reduce stress, and the people in our lives often times become our support system through good and bad times. This includes our animal kingdom friends! Research has shown that pets are beneficial to humans in that they tend to be a source of calm and a distraction from daily stresses.

MAKE SELF-CARE A PRIORITY.

Many of us get so busy taking care of all the responsibilities in our lives that we often times put ourselves last. Take care of yourself. This means being kind to yourself, taking time to develop your own hobbies that you love, talking with your support system, and creating time to relax and do things you enjoy.

LAUGH, IT’S THE BEST MEDICINE. It might sound cliché, but laugh often and smile as much as you can. Life can be difficult at times and it helps to remember to lighten up, enjoy the moment, and feel grateful for all the good things we have. You have the power to combine your smile with compassion and brighten someone else’s day, as well as your own.

HELP OTHERS. As humans we are meant to share our time and talents with others, and we feel good when we are helping those in need. There are a lot of service clubs, churches, programs, neighbors, elderly, and family that can always use help.

DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE. What gives you meaning or purpose? Is it family, pets, friends, spirituality, caregiving, your work, relationships? Do things that feel good and challenge you to feel productive. Spend quality time with those who are important to you, volunteering, or working for a cause.

SET GOALS. Create manageable goals and work towards what you want in your future. It’s important to always BELIEVE you can achieve anything you set your mind to. And don’t forget to celebrate your achievements or milestones along the way!

MANAGE

STRESS.

Life becomes stressful for us all at times. Recognize stress when it arises, then remind yourself to relax, take some deep breaths, and know it will all work out.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 Heidie Holmstrom and Jerry Feist provide mental health services and counseling at Footsteps Counseling on

Family, Faith, Community and THE FARMER’S

WIFE BOUTIQUE

by JENNY ROTH

This January the Farmer’s Wife Boutique is celebrating its two-year anniversary of being open in the Ward Hotel on Main Street. What started as a hobby for owner Samantha Miller has grown over the past four years into a small business that intends to keep helping all women feel beautiful and selfconfident in their own skin.

In 2014, Samantha was living on her husband’s family farm, located about an hour outside of Aberdeen, and had just left her job as an occupational therapist to become a stay-athome mother to her young daughter. At this time, she started looking for a creative outlet that would allow her to enjoy doing something for herself, as well as interact with others, when she noticed a lot of boutiques popping up on Facebook. Since she had always loved fashion and the extra confidence it can bring out in people, she says, “I got the crazy idea that I could do that too.” With her husband on board, she took their savings, invested into some pieces of clothing, and started a Facebook page to see how selling the items would go. Within a week she had a web site

(www.thefarmerswifeboutique. com), and soon after she began traveling to vendor fairs in the Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, Watertown, and Fargo areas with her clothing. “We did 33 vendor shows in three months, some weekends we did three in a row with a show on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.”

After about six months of selling online and at vendor fairs, she got the opportunity to rent a location in Groton. She says up until that point she was storing all of her merchandise in the basement of her house and in a 16-foot trailer. “I initially decided to rent the space just as storage, so

we could have our house back, and so my husband could have his trailer back!” Eventually she transformed this space into a storefront that was open just two or three days every week, but after a year her business came to another turning point. “Most of my customers were coming from Aberdeen, and so I was in a place where I knew I needed to either let the boutique go, or take the plunge and move it to Aberdeen.”

She admits that part of the transition from being open in Groton to having a store on Main Street Aberdeen was

continued on page 22

 Seasonal tops and accessories are on display at the Farmer’s Wife Boutique.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

 Farmer’s Wife Boutique owner Samantha Miller with her husband, Nathan, and their three children.

a bit scary. “I had never had employees before (the store now has three), and a few days after our grand opening my second daughter was born. So my first employee started working the day she was born! It was also a learning curve of not knowing what to expect from sales, balancing bigger overhead expenses, and planning for the different seasons.”

Samantha has been open about sharing her ups and downs of business ownership with the Aberdeen community, because as she says, “I think of all of our customers as much more than just a sale, they’re a part of our circle of family. I want to know them, and to also be honest and include them in what is going on in my life, too.” After the closing of another venture this past year, her children’s apparel store Lil’ Bean Boutique, she says she decided to focus more on what she wants for her business, versus trying to do what other businesses aren’t doing. This shift made her realize her goal is to run her store much like she wants her home and family farm to operate-on the values of family, faith, and community. “We really want to be the small mom and pop

type shop instead of expanding and trying to become huge and carry expensive clothing lines. Like in farming, community and relationships are so important, and we want to keep those values present in our boutique at all times.”

Since she has grown her business while also growing her family (her third child was just born a couple months ago) she has not only been a resource for other entrepreneurs, but also an advocate for area women and moms. She hosted support groups for mothers at Lil’ Bean and also encourages them by saying, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and take time for yourself. And if you have something you want to do just try it, you don’t know until you try.”

Walking into the Farmer’s Wife Boutique, it’s easy to see the values Samantha talks about present throughout her store. She carries women’s apparel in a variety of sizes-from small to 3x, as well as maternity tops, dresses, and bottoms, and children’s clothing, mainly in sizes newborn to six months. Everything is posted on her web site, so customers can shop from home and have their purchases sent directly to them, or put aside for them to pick up at the store. Samantha’s children often come to work with her, and the boutique’s shelving and display units were hand-built by her husband. She also carries gift items, many of which are handmade here in South Dakota. “We work with other small businesses as much as we can. I’d rather support someone who makes their own t-shirt line, or hand pours their own candles, before investing in a huge company that is already in stores all over the country.” //

 The Farmer’s Wife Boutique, 104 Main Street South, is open Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM, and Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

“I think of all of our customers as much more than just a sale, they’re a part of our circle of family.”

 In addition to women’s apparel, the boutique also features clothing for young children (top), as well as personal products and gift options for women and children (bottom).

 Thoughtful gifts for new moms and babies are a store highlight, as are handmade items created by other small South Dakota businesses.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

PLAYING FROM THE HEART

Violinist Emily Engelhart fills Aberdeen with live music

by JENNY ROTH

hen Emily Engelhart plays the violin she doesn’t want you to just hear the music, she wants to make you stop and feel the emotions of the day going on around you. She has performed in all kinds of special events in the Aberdeen area, with some of her favorites being the Living Christmas Tree, NSU’s production of Les Miserables, the Christian Worship Hour broadcasting program, and the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library opening. “I love the Aberdeen community because it’s so supportive of the arts. I’ve had so many opportunities living here.” She believes live music has the ability to bring joy and capture important moments, which is why she works diligently to bring a unique experience to every single performance.

Emily grew up in the Central Valley of California. When she was eight years old she had a friend who played the violin, and it inspired her to give the instrument a try herself. She started taking music lessons from private teachers who all encouraged her to grow in her musical abilities, especially her teacher in later years, Dr. Susan Doering. From grade school all the way through high school, she kept busy playing in numerous music competitions, school orchestras, and California state

“I decided the best thing I could do for myself was to make myself uncomfortable.”

symphonies. In 2011, she formed the HER String Trio, which included herself as lead on violin as well as two other musicians on the viola and cello. Together they played over 50 gigs in a span of one year until 2012, when Emily married a corn and soybean farmer from South Dakota and moved to the Westport area.

After her move, she began playing with others in performances around Aberdeen. By this time she had years of experience leading and performing in groups, but it wasn’t until 2015 that she played solo publically for the first time, when she was hired by Roma’s Restaurant on Main Street to play for their customers. Later in 2016, she decided to launch her own

business as a solo entertainer for weddings and special events, a move she says she almost didn’t make. “One thing I’ve always struggled with is stage fright, and so my inspiration for starting my business was literally my fear-fear of not being good enough or making mistakes. I didn’t want that holding me back, so I decided the best thing I could do for myself was to make myself uncomfortable.”

She took the leap and began advertising as a solo violinist, and has gotten only positive feedback and plenty of business as a result. “I can now say I am completely confident in my musical abilities and no longer have that fear hanging over my head. I enjoy performing and entertaining more than I ever really could have.” In 2017, she played for eight wedding ceremonies. She says it is about so much more than just getting a couple’s song list and showing up on their day to perform. “I think of the event almost as if it were a scene in a movie. In the movies there is always that music in the background, making you feel some kind of emotion. That’s what I strive to do for each couple, to capture the intense emotional moments of their day, and make it something to be remembered.” When planning wedding performances, she will sit down personally with couples to make sure she gets the music totally customized to them so that it will clearly reflect their personalities. “When I’m at a wedding and guests come up to me and say, ‘Wow, that

music totally reminded me of the couple,’ that’s when I know I’m doing my job well.” Since the music in weddings is so closely intertwined with the rest of the ceremony, she also provides wedding coordination assistance to couples who want more help in organizing the details of their day.

Emily plays so effortlessly now that you would never assume she ever had stage fright or any difficulties along the way. She says that she did have a natural ability at playing the violin, but even so it is a difficult instrument to master, and while she was learning at a young age she had times where she wanted to give up. Her parents and teachers always cheered her on, and that is one reason why another part of her business includes giving violin lessons to help encourage others to reach their goals as well. She says that anyone can start learning at any age, and that she has students ranging from 70 years old, to 30 years old, to teenagers. Her advice to aspiring musicians is to keep practicing through the frustrations because you can find so much joy at the end of it all. “I know I did and anyone can, too, if they put their heart and mind to it.” //

 To learn more about Emily Engelhart’s music business, find her on Instagram at @emengelmusicofficial, or at Facebook.com/emengelmusic.

Photos by Troy McQuillen

 Emily Engelhart’s successful career as a solo violinist includes performing at special events in the Aberdeen area.

“‘Wow, that music totally reminded me of the couple,’ that’s when I know I’m doing my job well.”

BROADCASTING LEGENDS

Jay Dean Haaland takes fans back to the jukebox days with classic country music

by JENNY ROTH

C lassic country music artists tell stories with an unmatched art form. Local radio host Jay Dean Haaland has made it part of his life’s work to connect his favorite storytellers and their songs to his fellow fans.

 Left, Jay with Garth Brooks in the early 1990s. Bottom Left, Jay with Glen Campbell at the Brown County Fair. Below, In 2015 Jay traveled to Montgomery, AL to visit the grave of legendary Hank Williams.

 Jay Dean Halaand records his classic country hits radio show at Dakota Broadcasting in Aberdeen.

Photo by Troy McQuillen

Jay Dean has been in the radio business for over 25 years. His current country music show, Country Legends Jukebox with Jay Dean, hit the airwaves just a few months ago and has taken off running ever since. The show, which he records in advance at Dakota Broadcasting, features ’40s through ’80s era country music. It is already played on seven different radio stations across the Upper Midwest (Aberdeen listeners can tune in Sundays from 3:00PM to 5:00PM on Dakota 105.5), and Jay Dean is working to continue expanding the program. By this spring his goal is to be on 20 radio stations, and within five years he hopes that Country Legends will be on at least one station in each of the 50 states, as well as played internationally. “I want this to be a worldwide success,” he says.

Hosting a two-hour country oldies radio program that can be broadcasted to an audience around the nation has always been Jay Dean’s dream, but he says he still didn’t expect his show to get as big as it has so quickly. Part of the reason why it has received such a great response is because even though classic country music has a large fan base that extends across many generations, there still aren’t a lot of radio shows that focus on it. As Jay Dean explains, “That ’40s through ’80s era of country music is really missing from radio right now. People are having to go to satellite radio to listen to their music.”

Other characteristics that make Country

Legends a hit with listeners are the morsels of history and fun facts about the singers that Jay Dean throws in with his playlists. Classic country music has been a part of his life since he was four years old, and his enthusiasm for it shines through in his show. “When the other kids were outside playing, I was inside on my phonograph. Country music was a peaceful place for me to be as a kid, and I would always rather be listening to music on the record player than anywhere else.” Even his mom adds that she is not surprised to hear her son’s voice on the radio, because when he was as young as five she remembers watching him introduce the artists he was listening to before playing their songs on his phonograph.

At age seven Jay Dean took his own money to a local store in Britton and purchased his first record ever, “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” by Charlie Pride. Since then, his music collection has grown to include thousands of 45 records, hundreds of CDs, and his own home jukebox. He began working in radio in 1982 in Aberdeen on KGIM, after which he went to radio school in Minnesota and continued working at various stations across the tri-state region. When he moved back to Aberdeen, he was one of the first voices to be on Pheasant 103 and Sunny 97.7.

Inspiration for Country Legends also comes from his time spent meeting some of his favorite artists while at their concerts. Out of the hundreds of concerts he has attended, he says one of the best was a George Jones, Conway Twitty, and Merle Haggard combined performance in Bismarck. He adds, “While taking part in country music radio seminars in Nashville, I would get to go backstage at the Grand Ole Opry and meet the singers, get to know them, and talk to them. A lot of the stories and facts I put into Country Legends come from those conversations I had with the stars backstage.” Meeting the artists he had listened to since childhood made him appreciate their music even more. “The people singing this music are so real. They’re down-to-earth, approachable people who will take the time to talk to you and take a picture with you.”

When Jay Dean sits down to record his radio show, he says he mostly lays out his CDs and plays whatever comes to him in the moment. Along with getting to talk about and listen to country music, the best part of the job for him has been pleasing the fans. “I got into radio for the simple fact that it allows me to entertain people. Country Legends getting the type of well-response that it has just blows my mind. This is what I’ve always dreamed of doing.” //



For more information on Country Legends Jukebox with Jay Dean, visit www.facebook.com/ countrylegendsjukebox.

 Top Left, Jay with Kitty Wells, Bobby and Johnny Wright in the late 1990s.

 Top Right, George Jones posed with Jay in Bismarck.

 Bottom Left, Tammy Wynette in Nashville in the mid 1990s.

 Bottom Right, Jay with Ray Price.

“When the other kids were outside playing, I was inside on my phonograph.”

Photos courtesy of Jay Dean Haaland

PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST

by TROY MCQUILLEN

aris, France was a hot bed of artistic exploration during the Belle Epoque era that stretched from 1871 to 1914. This era received its name, translated to the golden age or beautiful era, after and in contrast to the tragedies of World War I. Looking back, the Belle Epoque was a time of romanticism, love, peace and creative exploration. If you saw the movie Moulin Rouge back in 1997, this is the era, and location, they were portraying. This is when impressionism took off with the likes of Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Mary Cassatt, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and inspired a Brown County resident named Frank Clifford Ashford. Frank Ashford? Maybe you’ve heard of him. Maybe not. If you used to go the Alexander Mitchell Library in the ’60s and ’70s you probably have seen some of the paintings. If you heard the story about Frank Hatterscheidt’s exotic hunting trips to Africa while touring the Dacotah Prairie Museum, you would have seen his portrait painted by Ashford hanging near the elephant mount.

If you do an online search for Ashford, despite his prolific career, you won’t find much. Which is odd. By all accounts, he has fallen off the radar and his work is either coveted by owners, or totally forgotten. A Google search will reveal the very cool story of the Museum sending one of their Ashford paintings away for restoration, and

discovering a perfectly intact second painting on the same canvas. Or you might find South Dakota Magazine’s recent article about the 10 must-see paintings in South Dakota. They feature another Museum piece by Ashford, named Woman with Shawl, above which is displayed in the foyer of the Museum. New owners found this painting in Ashford’s family farm home near Stratford in 1994. It too was sent away for restoration.

As I began my research online, I feared I had little to go on, thinking this would be a short story with a few big pictures of Ashford’s work. Fortunately, Sue Gates at the Dacotah Prairie Museum provided a paper written by the late Frances “Peg” Lamont, who did extensive research on Ashford in 1991. Needless to say, his story is long.

However, since space is limited, I’ll have

to be brief. Frank was born in Iowa in 1878 but moved to a farm near Stratford, SD, in 1893. A few years later, when he was 17, he left to go to art school in Chicago. He ended up in New York studying with an accomplished impressionist painter named William Merritt Chase. In 1907, he was lured to Paris. He painted constantly for seven years and traveled around Europe.

With the onslaught of World War I, he decided to return home. One day before the Titanic departed, Frank got on a boat from France in 1914. The Titanic sank while he was en route, and he provided comments to the local media about the frenzy in New York when he arrived. His boat had traveled through the same iceberg field, but in the daylight.

For the next several decades, Frank traveled around the country settling in Minneapolis, Sioux Falls, Portland, his family farm near Stratford, and Aberdeen. He established a studio for a period of time

Frank C. Ashford left for a career in art, but always came home to Aberdeen.

 Woman With Shawl This painting was discovered in Frank Ashford’s family farm house near Stratford in 1994 by new residents. It was donated to the Dacotah Prairie Museum and brilliantly restored. (Dacotah Prairie Museum, year unknown)

 Woman At Piano This is one of two paintings by Ashford that hung in the Aberdeen Country Club. (K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, 1922)

 Self-portrait Frank Ashford. (K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, year unknown)

where ever a commission presented itself.

At an early age, Frank was encouraged to become a portrait painter by teachers and he became quite popular. He made his living as a portrait painter but dabbled in landscapes for his own pleasure. The James River, his family farm, and his family farm in Oregon were popular subjects of his landscapes.

The local media would often publish a story when Frank returned to the area. Frank would always eat at the Virginia Café and would often invite pretty women who came into the café to pose for him. He was well respected and it was considered an honor to be invited to pose for him. Newspaper clippings at the Library report particular women who were to be painted by Ashford.

Frank’s biggest single claim to fame (aside from a lifelong career as a successful artist) is that he and Peter Norbeck arranged for him to paint a portrait of President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 while the White House

was in residence at the Game Lodge in Custer State Park. He painted Coolidge’s wife Grace a couple times and also did one of Norbeck. All three still hang on the main floor of the lodge.

This presidential notoriety led to many, many other official commissions. He painted three South Dakota Governors (Lee, Jensen, and Foss), and several judges (many from Wisconsin and Washington). In this post-Coolidge period, Ashford was commanding $500 to $1,000 or more for a portrait.

After 1956, Frank ultimately settled into a lifestyle in downtown Aberdeen. He lived in the Boyd apartments (above Malchow’s). When some friends noticed he hadn’t shown up for his routine coffee or luncheon, they knew something was wrong. Frank was found dead in his apartment from a heart attack. He was 82 at the time. The year was 1960.

Just as detailed information is difficult to find online, so is any information about

the values of his paintings. After his death, local attorney Douglas Bantz mounted an auction of all his paintings from his studio. Many paintings were sold, but not at tremendous values. Another attorney, Hugh Agor bought several paintings and eventually would donate all 11 of them to the Library. Many had been on display in the library, which is why you may recognize some of the ones shown here. The Dacotah Prairie Museum has a fine collection as well. Frank did get married but divorced not long after. He did paint at least one portrait of his wife, Marjorie. They had no children. Frank’s two brothers went on to have descendents and at least one is on the lookout for Frank’s Oregon landscapes. Maybe others collect his works. So far, we’ve not found many. Each painting leads us down a new rabbit hole.

I’ve not found a person who knew Frank. Peg Lamont spoke to several in the Stratford area who knew him and mentioned them in her 1991 paper. We don’t know what motivated him, what prompted him to move around the world, why he lived in an apartment downtown, or, where his paintings are in the world.

As always, if you have any stories about Frank, or if you are familiar with or own any of his paintings, please give us a call.

I would like to thank Shirley Armendt of the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, Cristy Biegler from Bantz, Gosch & Cremer Law Firm, Sue Gates of the Dacotah Prairie Museum, and Scott and Meleah Ashford of Oregon for assisting me and allowing access to their Ashford collections. I am also appreciative of individuals who let me into their homes to photograph their Ashford paintings. //

 Abraham Lincoln This painting was painted in 1955. He first painted Lincoln in 1929 from a rare ambrotype photograph (photo on glass) he owned of Lincoln taken in 1858. It is unique in that not many images of Lincoln without a beard exist. (K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, 1955)

 President Calvin Coolidge Painted while Coolidge was in residence at the State Game Lodge near Custer. (Photo by Mike Bender, State Game Lodge, 1927)

 Governor Joe Foss The Aviator and War Hero This is an informal portrait of Governor Foss depicting his Air Force attire. (K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library, about 1958)

 Scene on a Farm This is Ashford’s family farm near Oregon. (Private residence, year unknown).

LET’S PLAY HOCKEY

THE ABERDEEN WINGS TAKE THE CITY BY STORM BOTH ON AND OFF THE ICE

by

It’s a home game for the Aberdeen Wings and the bleachers are packed. Standing spectators line the rink, holding cold beers with gloved hands. Fans wearing jerseys signed by their favorite players cheer, stomp their feet in unison, and ring cowbells. And you know the game is underway when the announcer’s call of “Let’s play hockey” is followed by the sound of skates cutting across the ice.

The Wings have had incredible success in just seven years of being a hockey organization. Last season they were the NAHL Central Division Champions, with coach Scott Langer being named the division’s Coach of the Year. Scott says winning games and taking home championships is great, but that their first goal as a junior hockey league is to help their players grow and move on to higher opportunities. “We’re progressively becoming one of the top teams in the league as far as moving players on. We’re here to assist these young men on their path to play at the college level, whether it’s in Division I or Division II.”

To date, the Wings have seen three of their players become NHL draft picks and over 30 enter into Division 1 commitments. After last season they lost about a dozen team members, because as Scott explains, “They became so good that they were recruited into higher leagues.” Their players are all between the ages of 17 and 20 and come from all parts of the United States and the world. They stay with host families in

Aberdeen, and some also attend high school at Aberdeen Central while playing for the Wings. During the pre-season they focus on training camps and team building activities and continue to practice regularly throughout the year.

The Wings’ fan base is exceptional, and the team is proud to be an active part of Aberdeen. Scott says, “We’re big on community service because it’s an important part of the growth process for our players, for them to become better people, and also a way we can give back to the community and everyone who comes out to the games.” Players can be found around town helping out organizations such as the Aberdeen Humane Society and the Salvation Army. One of their favorite volunteer opportunities is teaching hockey fundamentals and spending time with local youth in the YMCA’s floor hockey program.

Scott emphasizes that the Odde family has also made all the difference in the Wings being successful in Aberdeen. “They are so family orientated and give us all the resources that it takes to succeed, and we wouldn’t be where we are without them.” He adds, “There are a lot of teams in this league that don’t get even close to the support that we get here in Aberdeen. For me and my family, that’s quite special.” //

 The Aberdeen Wings will host regular season games at the Odde Ice Arena through March. Check out www.aberdeenwings.com for all the details.

JENNY ROTH photos by TROY MCQUILLEN

 Wings hockey players chase the puck during a regular season home game at the Odde Ice Arena in Aberdeen.

The Legacy of a Good Name

by JENNY ROTH

hodes Insurance and the Anderson Agency are two companies that were founded in Aberdeen during the city’s very early days. They have thrived over the years by moving forward and navigating changes with their clients, whom they think of as partners, throughout each new decade.

In 2010, the two businesses merged and became RhodesAnderson Insurance. They currently have eight employees and four managing members, Rod Fouberg, Art

Russo, Justin Kiesz, and Tom Seyer. Tom, who began working for Rhodes Insurance in 1991, says the ease at which the two companies joined was nothing short of impressive. “One of the reasons we were attracted to the Anderson Agency was that they did things the way we do things. We knew they were the same type of agency as far as how they treated their employees, and how they were respected by their clients and peers. After working together for just a year or two, it felt like we had always been working together. It was a really easy transition.”

RhodesAnderson is a multiline insurance agency, meaning they write property-casualty insurance, life insurance, and health insurance. They can help operations of all sizes, from large specialty businesses to small ones, find coverage. Because they work with a multitude of insurance companies, they are able to find the best fit for each unique client. Tom explains, “Cost is a consideration, but from our perspective it’s not just about that. We want to make sure that when someone has a claim they have coverage for what they need.”

The agency does very little official advertising and relies mostly on personal recommendations from their current clients. Remarkably, their client retention rate is well over 90 percent. They have customers that have been with them for as long as 40 or 50 years, and are starting to see these long-time clients

continued on page 34

RhodesAnderson Insurance has been an integral part of Aberdeen for over 100 years

Photo by Troy McQuillen

 Seated (L to R) are Kathy Kellar, Mark Gederos, Justin Kiesz, standing (L to R) are Tammy Hicks, Rita Schile, Courteney Steinhauser, Dennis Disbrow, Andrea Baker, Tom Seyer continue the traditions of customer care and community service that have been fundamental to their combined companies for over a century.

referring their own children to them for their insurance needs. These important achievements speak to their level of customer commitment, especially in a time when there are so many commercials and advertisements that make it sound easy to just go online and have quotes at your fingertips with a few clicks.

However, not all insurance is the same, and RhodesAnderson believes their real value comes to light at claim time. They think of themselves as advocates for the insured, and are available to help clients work with adjusters and get their claims covered. Their agents take pride in being well-educated and knowledgeable in their areas of expertise. According to Tom, “We might not always be the cheapest price, you can always find somebody who can write something for less money, but we bring other value, like long-term care and customer service when claims come in.”

Their well-thought business policies and client relations are no coincidence. To understand the company, you have to go back to its beginning. In the 1880s, eager pioneers were flocking to Aberdeen in hopes of building a life in the small town that was quickly sprouting up around newly placed railroad tracks on South Dakota’s prairie. One of our earliest Hub City entrepreneurs, S. W. Narregang, founded the Narregang Investment Company in Aberdeen in 1882. Mr. Narregang remained an advocate for growth and improvement in the city well into the 1920s. One of his most notable projects was the building of the Capitol Theater on Main Street. In 1918 he went into business with G. W. Hart, the owner of his own farm mortgage company in Watertown, to create the Narregang-Hart Company. The new business provided financial services as well as insurance products.

This partnership was later purchased by Mr. E. C. Rhodes and Mr. F. W. Hatterscheidt and continued to operate as the NarregangHart Company until it merged in 1936, after which it was renamed to Narregang Insurance. Mr. Rhodes was a strong voice for farmers, especially during years that proved difficult for them financially, and spent much of his time learning about their situation and then working with the government and lenders to improve their livelihoods. Notably, according to RhodesAnderson’s website, during the 1930s and Great Depression era Mr. Rhodes, “managed hundreds of clients and led them through the reorganization that followed.” Among other ventures, he is also the founder of the well-known Dacotah Bank.

Also during the 1930s, Clifton ‘Clif’ Anderson opened the Anderson Agency in the Citizens Building in downtown Aberdeen. The agency continually grew

over the years, and Clif led his company with great customer service and the motto “When the policy is sold, our job has just begun.” His son Carl Anderson joined the business in 1966, as did his son-in-law Dennis Disbrow in 1974. Carl just recently retired, and Dennis is the vice president as well as a commercial and professional liability specialist at RhodesAnderson today.

If you asked anyone at RhodesAnderson why they think their organization has been able to stand the test of time, they will tell you that the key to their longevity has

everything to do with great leadership and conscientious ownership. The Andersons, Mr. Narregang, Mr. Rhodes, and others all had huge impacts on the history of the city of Aberdeen. More importantly, they set positive examples of what it means to be good corporate citizens and taught those practices to the younger generations.

Tom says he feels fortunate to have spent his time learning from people who knew how to run a business well when he first started working for Rhodes Insurance after college. “Something that has been passed down to all of us at RhodesAnderson is that it’s not just about making money, but about treating employees and clients well, and giving not just financially, but in the form of your time, back to the community. We have a well-respected and long-engrained name, and that is the thing we are working to carry into the future.” //

“We have a wellrespected and longengrained name, and that is the thing we are working to carry into the future.”

 E.C. Rhodes (left) and Fred Hatterscheidt (portrait) purchased Narregang-Hart Company. The portrait of Hatterscheidt is by Aberdeen portrait artist, Frank Ashford. It was probably painted in the 1920s (Dacotah Prairie Museum).

 The original Narregang building stood at 320 S. Main Street.

PAUERING THE SOUND OF ABERDEEN

Scott Sauer reflects on all the highlights and changes he has experienced in Pauer Sound’s first 20 years of business.

by PATRICK GALLAGHER

ome people in Aberdeen have jobs where you only know they’re doing it if they haven’t done it well. When it’s done right, they’re invisible—or silent. Maybe the coolest job like that, especially because it’s usually done in cool situations, is the one Scott Sauer has in his business. Pauer Sound sets up sound for concerts, weddings, street dances, and all kinds of events where if you don’t think about the sound system, he’s done his job well.

Scott celebrated his 20th year in business in 2017. He admits that things have changed since 1997. Back then, he’d been selling instruments for Engel’s Music, when downtown jeweler Kevin Pleinis urged him to start his own business selling guitars. Eventually convinced, and with Pleinis as a partner (hence P(leinis)(S)auer Sound), Scott opened up across the street from Engel’s in a building his partner owned and that was next door to Pleinis’ store. His shop was the center of the space currently occupied by the Main Street Flea Market-which still says Pauer Sound on the awning, and if you go in the main entrance, you’ll still find a wall full of guitars for sale. Within a few years, Scott bought out Pleinis, but says he “couldn’t have done it without Kevin’s help and coaxing.”

Scott opened his business intending to “sell guitars,” but retail started off slowly. Producing sound for events was meant to be a secondary thing. “It wasn’t as big a business then,” he explains, because “so many bands and DJs had their own equipment.” So he did sound only occasionally, using his personal equipment. Then a part-time employee decided to start a DJ business at about the same time Scott attended a national music trade show and found subwoofers that he wanted. They teamed up, and the rest is history. The DJ had sound for his shows and sometimes ran the sound

board for Scott’s band. Most importantly, Scott had equipment to produce events. He remembers his first professional gig being for Aberdeen’s old Barbershop Quartet Festival. (The professional term for what Scott does is “producing” sound, but “gigs” makes the writer sound cooler [Editor’s note: it doesn’t].)

Over time, Scott developed his skills as the technology exploded and bands’ sound wants became more sophisticated than their knowledge—his business solved their problem. Now, Pauer Sound does 5060 gigs a year, frequently doing multiple shows on a weekend. He has equipment to

do four or five smaller shows on one day. It’s not surprising that Scott is involved in sound and music. He’s been strumming since pre-K. When he was about four years old, his dad took him to see Johnny Cash and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carl Perkins perform in Bismarck. Scott came home begging for a guitar and got one for Christmas. In his home near Java, there wasn’t “much else to do on the farm, so I practiced a lot.” It paid off. By age six, he was in a band with three girls, which they

Photos courtesy of Scott Sauer

 Scott can be found running the sound system just about anywhere, from outdoor venues (top), to annual city-wide events such as The Living Christmas Tree (right).

called “Four Cat Day” (one-upping Three Dog Night).

 Innumerable Aberdeen youth developed their musical abilities and gained performance experience through classes and shows hosted by Pauer Sound.

Scott began making the trip from Java to Aberdeen for practices and gigs. Then he went to Northern, where he played in the band almost every weekend. “We probably made more money in the early ’80s than bands do today,” he says. Eventually Reed and Pred left for the West Coast, where they formed a new band—and, after a car accident with the president of Polygram Records who got interested and attended their show, they got signed to a deal.

young musicians and their bands to play there in what he calls “punk shows” and invite their friends. As many as 75 people might show up. (Today, if you go back in that area of the flea market, you can buy amplifiers—the ghost of Sauer past.)

Scott won’t take credit for it, but several of those youngsters grew up to work in music, including Josh Reick, who builds musical instruments in Sioux Falls and made Scott an upright bass made from a piece of wood recovered from Lake Erie.

Education remained a theme in the business, and a decade or so later Scott opened Rock School. A group of fledgling young musicians took individual music lessons from instructors for a month to learn an instrument, and then practiced together as a band for a month. Graduation was a public concert at a small venue like Red Rooster. He says he wanted to “develop their musical chops and also get them confident performing on stage,” and admits to tearing up more than once while watching some of those young people blossom on stage.

In high school, Scott performed in various groups, but it was his Christian band that got him in trouble. After choosing rehearsal over football practice once, his coach called him out for it in front of the team, so he began to keep his music more to himself. But a few years later at a high school dance, he met Dan Reed and Dan Pred who were performing in the band from Aberdeen. One thing led to another, and continued on page 38

Scott’s music background—and maybe the latent teacher inside him—led to a unique opportunity. Before Kevin Pleinis closed his shop next door and Scott took over the whole space, Kevin turned over the back end. He cleared out room in the back of the old Pleinis shop, set up a performance space, and invited some

BOATS ARE A HASSLE.

Scott also continued to play music on the side. He met Rory Hoffman, an NSU

See What You’ve Been Missing.

O ering specialized care for cataracts with the newest multifocal lenses, corneal disease, detached retina, glaucoma, diabetes-related eye disease, treatment for macular degeneration using the latest injectable drugs, and laser refractive surgery (LASIK). Dr.

student from Lemmon who was a great musician and “one of those guys who makes everybody else around him better.” They got to fly to gigs out of state and did a TV show for the Country Music Christian Awards (an experience that taught him a lot about live performances). Eventually, Rory moved to Nashville and has since toured with Ricky Skaggs.

Scott has also combined his work, passion, and faith in various ways, including the Roncalli High School production of Godspell in 2008. In addition to setting up a sound system that had to transform a basketball gym into a theater, he also led the four-piece live band that backed up the actors. “It was a great, if complicated, experience,” he says.

Throughout all this, as much as he wanted to sell guitars, the businessman in him began to realize that retail wasn’t his future. Competition in Aberdeen and on the Internet had radically changed the environment for his business and made him reevaluate. “I learned to appreciate my customers much more and realized that some of my customers in the install business had become good friends,” he says, adding, “I also learned to rely more on my employees—you can’t do everything— and I’ve had some great employees.” This

reassessment drove him to leave his Main Street location in 2014 and open a smaller shop on First Avenue NE, where he concentrates just on sound production and system installations. He misses watching the young musicians get excited about the equipment he was selling, and says, “I was scared about leaving Main Street, but it was the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Scott has installed sound systems since early in his career in many places around the area. Churches have been the most interesting. The architecture always fascinates him, as well as the sometimes quirky acoustics. He’ll often find that one place in the church where you can whisper and be heard a hundred feet away. One of his first installations was in the Barnett Center not long after it opened. That was done on a shoestring budget, so he was pleased to get to upgrade the system a few years ago with the kind of budget it deserved.

As Scott concentrated on production, a new endeavor that had seeds in the earliest days of his business emerged. Back when he invited local bands to perform in the store, one of his financing supporters brought his young son, who like any little kid got in the way while Scott was mixing for the performers. In time, that little kid learned the business in college, and the “frickin’ genius surpassed me,” Scott says. That kid now leads a sound production business in Spearfish, which along with another West River business, joins forces with Pauer Sound to share equipment and expertise in gigs across the state.

Over the years, Scott has done many kinds of gigs in many venues around the Aberdeen region. A favorite is the Living Christmas Tree every year. One of the most memorable was the Aberdeen Pig Out on Main Street several years ago when a band from the Twin Cities came to perform. They were so good, Scott says, “I could turn the EQs upside down, and they’d still come out smelling like a rose. Great musicians are like that.”

No matter how they smelled—and whatever upside-down EQs would do—they also sounded great because the sound guy knew what he was doing—even if no one else knew he was doing it. That’s cool. //

by JENNY ROTH

Melynda Sletten’s exquisite salon and spa lights up an Aberdeen landmark

Photos by Troy McQuillen

istoric homes grab our attention not only because of their amazing architecture, but also because they draw us a bit closer to our city’s past. They’re filled with stories about the many inhabitants who’ve passed through their doorways over the years and all the eras that have come and gone. But there is nothing an old house loves more than being lived in, and while it’s fascinating to learn about the rich history of a structure, it’s equally remarkable to see a building that is over one hundred years old still playing an active role in the community today.

Melynda Sletten decided to fill one of these historic houses with life and activity when she chose it as the setting for her full service salon, Platinum Salon and Spa. Located in an old Victorian at 714 South Main Street, the salon has been open for two years and specializes in cuts, colors, easihair extensions, and Brazilian Blowouts. Melynda’s elegant and rustic style compliments the vintage features of the

house perfectly, resulting in a comfortable retreat for her clients to relax in. “The character of the building is definitely something I wanted to have because it gives the salon a really home-like feeling,” she explains. Warm lighting, a farmhouse color scheme, and the refurbished furniture she selected for her décor all make for a welcoming atmosphere. In the center of everything stands an original fireplace with a mantel made out of weathered siding from her grandmother’s house. To add even more of a personal touch, black and white photographs of her grandparents on their wedding day also hang on the walls throughout the space.

After working as a cosmetologist for a number of years, Melynda says what inspired her to start her own business was the desire to be more independent. “I knew cosmetology was what I wanted to do because it allows me to help people feel confident and beautiful. With having my own business, I get the freedom to create my own unique styles. It’s the best thing

I’ve done.” Even though she lives outside of town, she picked Aberdeen to launch her venture because of its central location to all the surrounding areas. She says it took a few months to get her building fixed up and ready for opening.

Melynda’s salon is on the home’s first floor along with another small business, Tara-dipity Massage, while apartments make up the rest of the square footage. The apartments were a renovation that started in the 1960s by Joe Geier, one of the home’s previous owners. Joe ran a barbershop from the same space Melynda is using for her salon and spa. His wife Gloria also operated a doll repair shop in the building at the same time. According to an interview with his daughter, Kris Rehfeld, in the Aberdeen American News, when Joe purchased the home it was fairly rundown and he spent many evenings repairing it over a 30 year time period.

Joe is in his nineties and just recently moved from Aberdeen to Minnesota. It seems fitting that the house he remodeled for his barbershop continues serving people in the community in a similar way through Melynda’s salon. Even though he retired over 20 years ago, Joe came to Platinum Salon and Spa’s grand opening to show his support, a gesture that demonstrates just how much a bright future means to every great history. //

 Platinum Salon and Spa is open five days a week and can be reached via Facebook, or by calling 605-216-0724.

 Melynda’s stylish and rustic décor combined with the home’s antique feel creates a cozy vibe for customers looking to relax at her salon and spa.

 A closer look at the historic Victorian home as it appeared in the early 1900s and how it stands today.

CHIEF DRIFTING GOOSE

LEARNING TO LIVE IN A NEW WORLD

In the previous issue of Aberdeen Magazine we learned about Sioux Chief Waneta who was born and lived north of Aberdeen near Frederick. In this story, we follow the saga of Chief Drifting Goose as he faces immigrant encroachment onto his homeland. He was the last bastion of resistance to white settlers and the railroad in the Aberdeen and Brown County area.

by MIKE MCCAFFERTY

Magabobdu, or Drifting Goose, was a Hunkpati Sioux chief who kept Eastern South Dakota relatively free from settlers and railroads until the 1870s. He was notorious for resisting settlers and disrupting the work of railroad surveyors, but he did so without using extreme violence. He cared deeply for the survival of his people, and for his home along the James River. He is the only chief in history to receive his own reservation, and the only chief of the plains tribes who never signed a treaty. Drifting Goose is famously attributed with saying that he had signed nothing, so consequently, gave up nothing. His life is replete with tales of activities aimed at “unwelcoming” settlers. He could speak Nakota, Dakota, Lakota, and English, as well as understand some of the settlers’ languages, such as German. He was well respected and known as a highly intelligent, caring, peaceful, and friendly man.

Early Life on the James River

Drifting Goose was born in 1821 in the James River Valley just north of presentday Redfield. His people controlled an area from eastern Minnesota to the Missouri River, and from Sioux Falls north to roughly Sand Lake. Nearby, Waneta and his people controlled the James River Basin from Sand Lake north to Pembina. Drifting Goose and Waneta’s bands were friendly with each other, interacted frequently, and utilized each other’s territories.

As a young man, Drifting Goose learned the skills of debate, bargaining, persuasion, and diplomacy from his father, Wounded, and other tribal members by attending the annual gathering of the Seven Council Fires at Council Rock, located just north of Redfield. Council Rock was a sacred spot where the Sioux tribes would gather to discuss issues, trade, and share time together. It was considered a safe zone and anyone who was in need was taken care of there.

In 1840, at age 19, Drifting Goose became chief of his people. Two years earlier in 1838, Waneta had abandoned the northern part of the James River Valley and moved his people to Emmons County, North Dakota, leaving his former territory to Drifting Goose. Prior to this time, Drifting Goose’s people were nomadic and had numerous campsites up and down the James River. With this new territory to oversee, Drifting Goose decided a new permanent home was needed that was centrally located to control the area from Sioux Falls to Jamestown. That year, he moved his people further north up the bank of the James to an area called Armadale Island, which is just northeast of Mellette. It was a location that featured abandoned earth lodges that had previously been used as seasonal quarters, most likely by the Arikara who had migrated west to the Missouri River in the mid-tolate 1700s. This area also featured good stands of timber, fertile soil for crops, and abundant game. They settled in nicely to their new home, planted crops, and hunted the scattered groups of bison that roamed west of Aberdeen.

Deterring Settlers

During the 1840s, more and more settlers poured into Minnesota, violating the 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien. Despite protests by the various bands of Sioux, nothing was done to curb the influx of immigrants. Minnesota had been made a territory and Alexander Ramsey was appointed its governor. He, along with Luke Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs

in Washington, D.C., pushed the Sioux to sign a treaty ceding large amounts of land to the United States Government in return for other considerations. After considerable pressure and the continuing influx of settlers into Indian territory, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux signed the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux on July 23, 1851. The treaty ceded lands in southern and western Minnesota along with some lands in Iowa and Dakota Territory. Drifting

Goose refused to participate in the treaty negotiations, and upon hearing of the details of the treaty he was furious. Some of the land ceded by the Sisseton-Wahpeton in Dakota Territory was not theirs to give; it was already home to Drifting Goose and his people.

As a result of this treaty, settlers did try to move into Drifting Goose’s territory. Shortly after the signing of the treaty in 1851, the Dakota Land Company from St. Paul and the Western Land Company from Iowa attempted to establish a town at present-day Sioux Falls. A small group of surveyors and investors moved in and started planning and staking out the area. Drifting Goose and his warriors plagued their encroachment efforts from day one. They would pull up survey sticks, take or damage equipment, and run off livestock. For the next five years, Drifting Goose would disrupt these intruders, until 1856, when enough settlers, along with a detachment of soldiers, arrived to secure the town site. During the time from 1851 to 1862, Drifting Goose also discouraged

 A photograph of Chief Drifting Goose, taken in the late 1800s by Charles Milton Bell. Photo courtesy of The Center for Western Studies, Augustana University.

“Drifing Goose is the only chief in history to receive his own reservation, and the only chief of the plains tribes who never signed a treaty.”

any settlers who ventured into the James River Basin and effectively kept them out without actually hurting anyone.

The Dakota War of 1862

Beginning in 1861, a lot of things changed for Drifting Goose and the Sioux people. First, what is now North and South Dakota was designated as Dakota Territory. The Civil War also broke out that same year. Then in 1862, the Homestead Act was passed offering free land to people who would file a claim in Dakota Territory. But the biggest thing was the so-called Dakota War of 1862 that erupted on August 17 of that year on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Reservation in Minnesota. When supplies ran short on the reservation the Sioux became desperate and resisted the settlers. Minnesota Governor Ramsey commissioned Henry Sibley and ordered him to subdue any resistance by the Sioux. After a three-week period of battles between Sibley’s men and the Dakota Sioux, the “uprising” was indeed subdued and the Sioux were ultimately punished for trying to survive and hold on to their homelands. Sibley requested a mass execution from President Abraham Lincoln for 239 Sioux women and men whom he had hastily tried in a kangaroo court. Lincoln communed all but 38 men who were put to death by hanging on December 26, 1862, in Mankato, MN. This travesty remains the largest execution in U.S. history.

As a result of this uprising, all Dakota were banished from Minnesota and a $25 bounty was put on all Dakota found in Minnesota Territory. This caused a frantic movement of Dakota Sioux into Dakota Territory. Drifting Goose assisted many to move through his territory, provided they remained peaceful. Upon hearing of the hostilities in Minnesota, the investors, settlers, and soldiers who had secured the site of Sioux Falls in 1856 abandoned it and moved to Yankton by the end of 1862.

Tensions and minor hostilities remained prevalent throughout the James River Valley for the next few years, and Drifting Goose had his hands full keeping the peace and trying to keep his homeland from being overrun.

The Move to Crow Creek Reservation

In 1868, the Fort Laramie Treaty was brought to Fort Rice for signatures, which resulted in the Sioux moving to designated reservations of their choice. All Sioux leaders signed the treaty except one: Drifting Goose. He refused. Instead, he focused on his village at Armadale. He

replaced the earth lodges with sturdy log cabins designed for defense, and planted crops on the surrounding fertile land. But all was not well. Some of his people thought they should abandon their home and move to the reservation. As chief, Drifting Goose could have ordered them to stay, but instead he held a meeting of all his people at which they could speak freely about what they wanted to do. A fair number of them wanted to move to the reservation, so Drifting Goose allowed them to do as they wished, and 169 families left for the Standing Rock Reservation. Despite this loss, Drifting Goose persevered. From 1869 on, more and more settlers attempted to move into the territory near his home, as did surveyors for various railroad lines. Again, Drifting Goose obstructed all those who came onto his land, especially the railroad surveyors, and his efforts became legendary, known as the “Drifting Goose War.” He pulled out stakes at every turn, released livestock, cut fencing, stole and damaged equipment on a regular basis, and, on one occasion, stripped a surveyor of his clothing and sent

him off in nothing but his birthday suit. While hostilities escalated between Indian nations and white settlers in western parts of South Dakota, Drifting Goose’s eastern side of South Dakota was relatively quiet.

In addition to battling encroaching settlers, Drifting Goose and his people endured hardships caused by drought and locust infestations for a few years during the 1870s. Then, in 1878, Drifting Goose received an order that he must leave his home on the James River and report to the Crow Creek Indian Reservation. Because of the hardships experienced over the previous years, he reluctantly agreed and abandoned his cabins and crops and went to Crow Creek with minimal military escort. Upon arriving there, Drifting Goose and his people were given land allotments, standard rations, and other annuities. They tried to settle into a new life.

On June 27, 1879, in an executive order, President Rutherford B. Hayes declared the establishment of the Drifting Goose Reservation. Granting a reservation to a specific individual was unheard of. The reservation site identified was Drifting

 President Rutherford Hayes granted Drifting Goose’s request for a permanent 65,000-acre reservation near Armadale Park in 1879. A year later, Hayes reversed his executive order and released Drifting Goose’s reservation, and homeland, into public domain for settlement.

Map by Troy McQuillen

Goose’s beloved Armadale area southeast of where Aberdeen would arise and near the Mellette area. Upon hearing the news, Drifting Goose and 104 of his family and followers returned to his home site only to find his cabins occupied by a good number of settlers, his crops harvested, the majority of the timber cut, and access to the river cut off. He camped there for a while, trying to convince the settlers that this was now his territory. The settlers refused to listen, and as fall came Drifting Goose moved his people to the Sisseton area, where they spent a difficult winter.

In the spring of 1880, Drifting Goose’s reservation was revoked by another executive order of President Hayes. He permanently abandoned Armadale as his home and left the area for good. He moved back to Crow Creek and settled onto land along the Missouri River. From 1880 on, Drifting Goose traveled freely from Crow Creek throughout eastern South Dakota, visiting with many of his settler friends, and stopping at various schools, businesses, and government offices. He was the only individual who could leave the reservation without specific permission from the Indian agent and written travel authorization papers. As Drifting Goose continued to travel, he became more and more convinced that education would be the salvation, strength, and future of his people. In 1886, this dream became a reality. Father Pierre DeSmet came to Crow Creek and, after extensive talks with Drifting Goose, established a missionary and built a school on the reservation.

Work in Later Years

In 1888, Drifting Goose appears in a photograph on the steps of the old U.S. Capitol building with a large delegation of Sioux Chiefs visiting Washington, D.C., on October 15. This visit, unfortunately, occurred in response to the Dawes Allotment Act, which led to great land loss for the Sioux and a widespread influx of settlers.

Drifting Goose’s last visit to the James River Valley was in 1904, when he was invited to be the featured speaker at the settler’s picnic on the Fourth of July at Fischer’s Grove near Redfield. Dressed in one of the finest suits of the time, he spoke to the large crowd about his beloved homeland, events in his life, the establishment of his school in Crow Creek, and his relationships and experiences with many of his friends who were in attendance. In closing, he bid farewell to his James River, stating he

would never return. With his last words, he also reminded those in attendance that, although he had been forced to give up his beloved land near the James, he had also spared the lives of many settlers in order to ensure the survival of his people.

Drifting Goose passed away in 1909 at the age of 88. He was buried in the Immaculate Conception Cemetery behind his school, which still operates today on the Crow Creek Reservation in Stephan, South Dakota. He is now credited with significantly changing South Dakota development in many areas and having more impact on government bureaucracy than any other representative of his people. His descendants continue to live at Crow Creek.

Today, at Fort Thompson there is a road named Drifting Goose Drive in honor of the chief. Since 2007, the Drifting Goose Rendezvous has been held each spring near Mansfield, which is close to Drifting Goose’s original Armadale village site. And in May 2011, Aberdeen resident Dave Swain, an avid historian, Drifting Goose fan, photographer, and Highway 20 tourism promoter, filed an application with the SD Department of Transportation that was approved, naming the bridge on Highway 20 that crosses the James River between Mellette and Brentford the Drifting Goose Memorial Bridge. //

 We would like to extend special thanks to Dani Daugherty for editorial assistance, David Swain, and the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library.

 U.S. commissioners and delegations of Sioux chiefs visiting Washington, D.C. October 13, 1888. (Library of Congress)

“Although he had been forced to give up his beloved land near the James, he had also spared the lives of many settlers in order to ensure the survival of his people.”

 The bridge on Highway 20 that crosses the James River near Drifting Goose’s original home was named after the chief through the efforts of Aberdeen local, Dave Swain.

SAY GOODBYE TO CABIN FEVER

20 ways for families to get out and have some fun this winter by

JENNY ROTH

The wind is howling, the ground is frozen, and you need to shovel all that snow off of your driveway. Again. While you’d like to be sitting on your porch sipping an ice tea, or maybe even digging in your garden, winter has other plans and will be sticking around for a few more months. This is a good season to cuddle up with your favorite books or catch up on all those TV shows at home, but sometimes the inside of your house can start to feel a bit crowded, and everyone needs to put down the remote and get out and about sometimes. Fortunately, Aberdeen has plenty of options for families who are looking to shake off the winter blues for a day. We’ve put together a list of our top 20 picks for things to do around town for you to refer to whenever that cabin fever strikes.

 Note: Since last minute calendar changes can occur at any time, we encourage you to call ahead to the following places to confirm their schedules before heading out the door.

Go for a Swim

Grab a Treat

Put on your Skates 5

The Odde Ice Arena offers open ice skating for all ages and abilities every day of the week through March 4 at very affordable rates. Don’t have skates? No problem, you can rent a pair from their office for just $1.00. Dress warm and come try out the ice! Call 605- 626-7015.

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Skateaway has been a favorite place for Aberdeen youth and families to gather for over twenty years. Come skate, listen to music, play arcade games, or grab a snack. They’re open Friday and Saturday evenings and also have afternoon matinee open skate times on Saturdays and Sundays. Call 605-225-1199.

Create and Learn

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You read that correctly, winter is one of the best times to go for a swim in Aberdeen because the weather is always ideal at an indoor pool. The Aberdeen YMCA’s family pool is open to both members and nonmembers paying a small fee most Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, as well as weekends. The facility features water slides, a lap pool, a hot tub, and a zero depth entry and splash zone for little swimmers. Call 605-225-4910 or visit www.aberdeenymca.org. 2

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The AmericInn, 301 Centennial Street, allows non-guests to use their swimming facility for about $5.00 per person. The pool is a nice fit for young swimmers with a maximum depth of 5 feet, and is open every day of the week from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Bring your own towel and swim the afternoon away! Call 605-225-4565.

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The Red Rooster Coffee House on Main Street has a large specialty coffee menu for adults, as well as smoothies, hot chocolate, and hot chider (a mix of apple cider and chai tea) for kids. Take your drink to go, or stay and browse their shop and used book collection. Even better, bring your own favorite table activities from home and spend some time relaxing, playing games, or studying at one of their booths. Call 605-225-6603.

Hit the Gym

Colorful Creations Art Studio invites everyone to come in and “paint the day away.” They provide all the needed paint and art supplies, so all families have to do is walk in, choose a pottery or canvas masterpiece from their wide selection of options, and get busy creating together. The studio is open Wednesday through Saturday and also hosts special events monthly, so check their calendar at www.thecolorfulcreations.com, or call 605-725-CLAY.

CJ’s Patisserie is a local bakery that never disappoints. Located at 224 1st Avenue SE and open Wednesday through Saturday, you are sure to always find a seasonal and sensational dessert here. Their cupcakes, cheesecakes, and macarons go perfectly with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and can brighten any chilly day. They also make delicious homemade cinnamon syrup that can be added to drinks such as their apple cider. Call 605-622-0607.

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There are open gyms for kids of all ages in Aberdeen. The Washington Street Gym offers a free tot gym with balls and gross motor equipment for children six years old and younger most Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. Call 605-626-7015 for details. The YMCA also hosts a tot gym for children under five years old for two hours on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

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For older youth and teens, the Aberdeen schools have partnered with the Aberdeen Parks and Recreation Department to offer open gyms divided into age groups at various locations. Call the Parks and Rec office, or check their current brochure, for details. The YMCA also opens their gyms, rock wall, and teen activity center throughout the week.

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If you haven’t headed to the new K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library yet, winter is the perfect time to bring the family and check it out! Their spacious children’s section is fantastic and includes plenty of books, computers, activities, and inviting places to get lost in a good story. Call 605-626-7097.

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The Dacotah Prairie Museum is gearing up for a brand new dinosaur exhibit release this summer, but they’re also taking the time to add a seasonal children’s exhibit in their education room that will be open February through April. This temporary exhibit will be a fun place for families to play and learn in addition to their permanent children’s area, Frontier Life, which includes an interactive frontier store, house, garden, and covered wagon. While you’re there you can also take in German paper cutting art in Trail Dust and Sentiment, located in the Lamont Gallery. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday. Call 605-626-7117.

Spend time Together

Play, Jump, Stretch, and Run

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Bounce Around, a walk-in inflatable bouncy house center for kids ages 11 and under, is open every day of the week and located in the Aberdeen Mall. Kids can jump, slide, bounce, and just generally have a good time while getting out some energy. Call 605-725-2467.

14 Tuesday evenings from 5:30 PM to 6:15 PM at The Oil Room are reserved for kids of all ages to come in and sweat, breath, move, and have fun with a blend of yoga poses and exercise. Preregistration is not required for this weekly kids yoga session. Bring your own mat or use one of theirs! Call 605-725-2600.

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Also in the Aberdeen Mall is the Next Generation Performance Center, where kids 18 months to 12 years can have fun in a gymnastic-style open gym complete with trampolines, balance beams, a swinging rope, and more. Their open gyms take place Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Friday from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and Sunday from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM. Call 605-725-NEXT.

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Bowling is an interactive sport that families have always enjoyed doing together. Aberdeen’s Village Bowl makes it easy for kids to bowl alongside the adults by providing small shoe sizes, bumper lanes, light-weight balls, and a place to purchase drinks and snacks. For open bowling hours, call 605-229-4800.

17 Challenge your family to a friendly pinball or classic video game competition at Aberdeen’s Retrocade. Open Fridays from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Saturdays from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Retrocade offers pay what you did “back in the day” prices on all their arcade games. Put on a record from their classic jukebox and get gaming. Call 605-725-1985.

18 Sometimes a cold and dreary day just calls for a good movie. You can find the complete schedule of what’s playing and also coming soon to the AMC Classic Aberdeen 9 Theater, located in the Aberdeen Mall, at www.amctheatres.com. Some upcoming family friendly movies for January and February include Paddington 2, Mission Yeti: The Adventures of Nelly, Monster Family, and Peter Rabbit.

Cheer on your Favorite Team

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Starting February 10, Profiling Beauty Health and Wellness Center will have yoga classes for children ages 4 to 12 years every Friday afternoon from 4:00 PM to 5:15 PM. Each week’s class will have a different theme, such as dinosaurs, robots, and under the sea! Crafts and imaginative dance are incorporated along with yoga poses. Call 605-262-0405.

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The Aberdeen Wings hockey team has home games at the Odde Ice Arena through March. Kids love watching the fast-paced game, spotting the friendly pheasant mascot, and cheering with the crowd. Check out the Wings’ schedule at www.aberdeenwings.com. 20

For many sports fans winter means basketball season. Families can head to Northern or Presentation colleges to support our men’s and women’s Wolves and Saints teams while they compete on their home courts. Go online to www.northern.edu and www.pcsaints.com for game schedules.

IT’S OUR 30TH ISSUE!

Our purpose with starting Aberdeen Magazine was not to sell ads and make money, but rather, provide a positive image of Aberdeen and tell fun, interesting stories about the people and places that contribute to a great home town, utilizing the amazing talent already on staff at McQuillen Creative Group. As we enter 2018, we are celebrating the start of our 6th year of publication. This is our 30th issue and we’re showing no signs of slowing down.

The 30th issue signifies that print certainly is not dead. It remains expensive, but magazines continue to provide a pulse and vibe on a subject that readers simply enjoy touching, flipping, and holding on to. Aberdeen Magazine has gone from a free direct mailed publication with newsstand sales, to a widely distributed magazine available for free at nearly 100 places in Aberdeen. People can still subscribe to have the magazine reliably show up in their mailboxes.

We want to express thanks to all our advertisers who have trusted us for the last five years. Thanks to all our staff members, interns, and vendors who continue to work hard each issue on delivering a quality product. And thanks to you. We hope you enjoy reading Aberdeen Magazine as much as we enjoy putting it together.

Thank you Aberdeen! // — Troy McQuillen

 The folks behind Aberdeen Magazine are, Abby McQuillen, Jenny Roth, Eliot Lucas, Troy McQuillen, Kate Bommarito, and Carly Brousek (NSU intern).